Pep Guardiola will come up against a man he knew was destined for big things when his Manchester City side take on Diego Simeone and Atletico Madrid.
The Spanish champions are savvy competitors on the European stage, which is largely down to the work and impact of their manager. Few clubs on the continent mirror their manager like the Madrid outfit, who have reached two Champions League finals and twice won the Europa League under Simeone.
Guardiola has not come up against Atletico during his City tenure, but did take them on whilst in charge at Bayern Munich back in 2016. He squared off against a man whom he'd welcomed into Barcelona seven years earlier as both men begun their managerial journeys.
Atletico would get the last word in a semi-final tie that finished 2-2, with the Spanish side progressing thanks to Antoine Griezmann's away goal at the Allianz Arena. Guardiola's prediction about Simeone had come true - the Argentine questioned his tactics at Barcelona and it left a lasting impression.
The City boss said in an Amazon Prime documentary : "He came to training and we talked - how do you come out, how do you pressure up or in the middle, how do you attack in small spaces, whatever. And he said something that was good and useful and eventually shows Cholo's personality. We talked and he says 'I don't feel it, I don't like it'. That's when I said 'wow, this motherf***** will be good'."
Guardiola and Simeone could not be further apart on the footballing spectrum with their principles and philosophies differing massively. The Catalan aims to dominate games, with possession a huge factor in that. Simeone though is quite content at being reactive rather than proactive.
It has proved a successful strategy but Guardiola has confessed he would never employ similar tactics. He claimed: "That, I cannot do that to my teams, ever. But I admire the ability to resist, resist. They know at some point the bee will sting." Often it has for Simeone and Atletico.
But that doesn't mean he hasn't been left searching for answers. Back in 2016, as Bayern attempted to overturn a 1-0 first-leg loss, they set their stall out in Germany. Simeone has said since: "The game against Bayern was unbelievable. I can't believe my eyes. We can't go beyond the midfield."
City's tactics are likely to be the same with Guardiola and his side seeking to go one better than they did 12 months ago. The Champions League has evaded the tactician for 11 years now and many feel as if he needs to win in for the Premier League side, even if he has dominated in every other field.
Guardiola has been accused of overthinking Champions League games in the past. His decision not to play a midfield anchor in the final loss to Chelsea last May copped major criticism. Whatever he does opt to do in the first-leg, which will be played in Manchester, Simeone will be the man trying to counter it.
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Two years ago it was Liverpool who were left to question how their dominance was not rewarded when they lost in the last 16. Having lost 1-0 in Spain then took a 2-0 lead at Anfield, only to see Atletico score three times in extra-time to advance through. The result clearly didn't sit well with Jurgen Klopp, who said: “It’s so difficult to play against a side like that. I don’t understand with the quality they have that they play this kind of football, I don’t understand to be honest.
“When I see players like Koke, Saul, Llorente, they could play proper football, but they sat deep in their own half and have counter attacks. But it’s right, the winner is always right. Okay, they beat us, that’s how it is and we accept that of course, congratulations to Atletico. But it doesn’t feel right tonight to be honest."
The narrative seems to be set. Guardiola's City will enjoy north of 70 per cent of the ball, have more chances, but it will come down to whether the unstoppable force can overcome the immovable object as both teams chase the European Cup that has eluded them both.
