Athletic Bilbao Coach Valverde Ready for "Ambitious" Atletico Madrid

Valverde Praises Simeone

"He has made Atletico a very competitive team," Valverde said. "They are always fighting for titles and they are always a threat."

Athletic Bilbao coach Ernesto Valverde is wary of the threat posed by Atletico Madrid ahead of their La Liga clash on Sunday.

Atletico are currently second in the table, three points behind leaders Barcelona, and Valverde knows they will be a tough opponent.

"They are a very ambitious team," Valverde said. "They have a great coach in Diego Simeone and they have some very good players."

Atletico's Strengths

• Strong defense
• Excellent counter-attacking
• World-class players

Valverde is particularly impressed by Atletico's defense, which has conceded just 10 goals in 21 league games this season.

"They are very well-organized and they are very difficult to break down," Valverde said. "They have some of the best defenders in the world."

Valverde's Plan

Valverde is not daunted by the challenge of facing Atletico, but he knows his team will have to be at their best to get a result.

"We will have to be very disciplined and we will have to take our chances," Valverde said. "We know it will be a difficult game, but we are confident that we can get a good result."

Athletic Bilbao are currently seventh in the table, 10 points behind Atletico Madrid.