Diego Simeone Names UCL Favourites After Facing Arsenal, Real Madrid and Liverpool

Diego Simeone has named his favourites to win the Champions League out of Arsenal, Real Madrid and Liverpool after facing all three teams in their opening games of the season.

Atletico have had arguably the toughest start to the 2025/26 Champions League campaign, having faced two teams - in Arsenal and Liverpool - who will hope to lift the trophy next summer.

They suffered a 3-2 defeat away to Liverpool on the opening gameweek, before Tuesday's 4-0 loss at Arsenal.

Alongside their clashes against Arsenal and Liverpool, Simeone's side have also faced off against German side Frankfurt, winning 5-1 at home.

In La Liga, Atletico thrashed Real Madrid 5-2 at the Wanda Metropolitano in September.

Their heavy defeat to Arsenal - in which the Gunners scored all of their goals within 13 second half minutes - means that Atletico started Wednesday evening in 22nd place in the 36-team league phase.

Speaking after the game, Simeone declared that Mikel Arteta's side are the best team Atletico have faced this season.

He told Alex Aljoe on Amazon Prime: "I'd say the best team we've faced this season, Arsenal. They compete so well. They run and they run. There's quality all over the pitch. They deserved to win today, and I want to congratulate them on that win."

Arsenal have never won the Champions League or European Cup during their history, reaching the final in 2006.

The Gunners went 1-0 up through Sol Campbell in the first half, but were already down to 10 men after Jens Lehmann was sent off and conceded two late goals from Samuel Eto'o and Juliano Belletti.

Atletico, meanwhile, reached the final in 2014 and 2016, but lost to Real Madrid on both occasions.

Despite only losing one match in La Liga this season, Atletico are in fourth place in the table, having drawn four of their nine matches thus far.

Their remaining Champions League group stage fixtures see them take on Union Saint-Gilloise, Inter Milan, PSV, Galatasaray and Bodo/Glimt - meaning they have avoided a match in this phase against reigning champions PSG.