Against Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday night, they will need to do better. A goal down from the first leg in Germany, the Rojiblancos require a real performance to overturn that deficit and advance to the last eight of a competition they lit up last season by progressing to the final in Lisbon.
"I want the Calderon to be noisy like on the nights they have pushed us on to achieve things in the past," Simeone said on Monday in the pre-match press conference. "I hope there is not a minute of silence throughout the whole match."
The Argentine coach often calls on the fans to lift his team in times of need. And now is one of those times: eliminated in the Copa del Rey at the quarter-final stage and out of the title race too, the Champions League is the only trophy target remaining in a season which has also seen Atleti claim the Spanish Supercopa.
That came after a two-legged success over city rivals Real Madrid in August, but since thrashing Carlo Ancelotti's side 4-0 in La Liga on February 7, Atletico have struggled for wins and goals as well.
A disappointing 2-0 defeat at Celta Vigo followed and although Atleti bounced back the following weekend with a 3-0 win at home to Almeria, the three goals came in the opening half an hour and Simeone's side have scored only one in 421 minutes of football since Antoine Griezmann netted the third in that match.
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