Speaking at today's media conference, Simeone admitted his admiration for the Bundesliga club.
Format change?
"Everything is positive. We have to win, it doesn't matter who you're playing against, we have to win. We saw how the strong teams started and it encourages us all to start winning."
What do you see of the Champions League and Atlético?
"I watched the Liverpool-Milan game, an entertaining match. We're going to see a more entertaining Champions League for the fans because the teams need to win, draws are good to a certain extent and we'll have to compete hard, any rival has grown a lot in Europe and will create difficulties."
Personal excitement for the Champions League?
"It's number 12 and for the club and the fans it's been a huge step and every day we have to rise to the occasion, demand more from ourselves but without straying from game to game."
Julian Alvarez's adaptation?
"He is a noble, hard-working boy, I'm sure he has many important things to give us. He had a short vacation, little training, went with the national team and came back... We have to help him and we need him in the best way possible, we will demand from him because we know what he can give us. We saw the goal the other day and hopefully it will be the first of many."
"I see him in very good shape, it's important whether he plays 10 minutes or 90. He's different and we need him to play the way he's playing. He's had goal-scoring opportunities in almost every game he's played. We need him to be more forceful and he's the first one to know that. We'll demand what I'm saying from him."
"It's a team that works very well, they've played different games. Against Leverkusen they played low and counterattacked, against Union Berlin they attacked the whole game with fast players, jumping to press. We'll see what we find, we've seen both versions."
Home game against Leipzig
"It's a great feeling to be competing in the Champions League again, a stadium that is eager to see this competition and its team and hopefully transmit to them the energy we are looking for."