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Luis Suarez issues Atletico Madrid a Champions League challenge

Luis Suarez, Atletico Madrid
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Suarez knows a winning set-up when he sees one and believes a Champions League challenge isn’t impossible if Atletico Madrid fix ONE key area.

A lack of efficiency is the one key area that separates Atletico Madrid from teams like Bayern Munich and Liverpool in the Champions League, says Luis Suarez.

Diego Simeone’s side have won their fair share of plaudits in the past for challenging Barcelona and Real Madrid with smaller resources. But as impressive as that they may be, they haven’t won LaLiga since 2013/14.

Their performances in the Champions League, meanwhile, have dwindled since losing a second final to Real Madrid in three seasons back in 2016.

Losing to RB Leipzig in last season’s quarter-finals was arguably a wasted opportunity considering several big guns, including Liverpool and Real Madrid, were out of the competition. A sluggish start this term has followed, starting with a 4-0 loss to reigning champions Bayern in their Group A opener.

But while Atletico have since added four points on board, Suarez feels a title challenge is possible.

“I think the Champions League is very different to LaLiga Santander. It’s all about the moment of each team,” the striker told Marca.

“It’s very physical now. The game against Bayern was because they were more efficient than us. From five or six chances they scored four. We had more chances but we couldn’t convert them. That’s costly in the Champions League.

“If we improve on that efficiency, we can compete against Bayern, who are the best team in Europe, or Liverpool, who the team already knocked out last season.

“If we know what we want and believe in ourselves, we’re capable because we have the players, character and quality. We just need to be clinical in those crucial moments. That’s what you have to do in the Champions League.”

Suarez won Europe’s biggest club competition with Barcelona back in the 2014/15 campaign.

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