Lothar Matthaus on Leicester vs Atletico Madrid: Foxes can keep surprising as top Euro clubs don’t know what to expect
SunSport’s European football expert assesses the Champions League quarter-final for England's final representative
LOTHAR MATTHAUS is SunSport’s European football expert.
Here the Germany legend assesses Leicester’s campaign as they prepare to face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Champs full of shocks
LEICESTER have surprised me again.
They shocked everyone in the Premier League last season and this year have done the same to the other clubs in the Champions League.
Not just against Sevilla, which nobody saw coming, but in the group stage before that.
Sure, they have had some problems this season but that is normal.
It was always likely the players would feel a bit too satisfied with what they did and not concentrate fully on the next campaign.
If you are champions, you have to work harder than before.
They missed N’Golo Kante more than they anticipated and other teams in the Premier League have been more focused and motivated against them. So maybe, in the Premier League, they were brought down to earth.
But in Europe they have the same situation as they had in the Premier League 12 months ago.
Teams have looked at them, compared the squad with Manchester City, Arsenal, Spurs and Manchester United and not thought they had anything to fear.
Yes, they had a bit of luck in the first leg in Seville but they kept themselves in the tie.
When they were under pressure in the first game, when they could have folded, they refused to give up and showed the mentality they needed.
Now they are in the quarter-finals. Maybe they were the club that everybody wanted to draw but they are also the club that nobody is quite prepared to play against.
Good shake up
THE way things were going for Leicester, they had to change the coach. It has helped because the players who had lost focus and motivation had to prove themselves to the new coach.
Since Craig Shakespeare came in, you have seen Leicester fighting back and looking like last season’s team. It was the right moment to make the change.
It was not good for Claudio Ranieri but it seemed he had lost contact with the team and if you don’t have the bond you do not get results.
They are back to their best and getting more confident. It shows how the little things can change so much.
Diego the daddy
ATLETICO are well organised, difficult to beat and very aggressive.
But they have also changed their approach.
Initially, they had a very good defence but now there is more balance.
In the old days, they would settle for defending and scoring one goal.
But this season they went to Leverkusen and scored four. They are a far more attacking team.
I always say that if you stay with a good coach, the relationship between him and his team becomes like a family, he becomes a father with his children.
You can see they play with the mentality boss Diego Simeone was showing as a player 25 years ago.
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Dashed difficult for Atletico
IF Atletico let their concentration slip, it will give Leicester a chance to pounce.
Defenders Felipe Luis and Diego Godin are not the quickest — and Jamie Vardy could cash-in with his pace from the right side. Something has finally clicked with Vardy and he is back to being the deadly dangerman of last season.
Fast start on cards
ATLETICO will try to start quickly and strongly and look to attack.
It will be very hard for Leicester in the Calderon because Atletico have a great relationship with their fans.
Leicester have to fight for each other for every minute of the 90.
Diego Simeone will tell his men being favourites means nothing.
He will drum into them that they have to play at their highest level to get to the semis and that Leicester are not the same side as two months ago.
The great thing for Leicester is that they have nothing to lose.
I hope the Foxes can score and they will create some chances but I think this is as far as they will go.