Koke will make his 92nd Champions League appearance on Tuesday, further extending his club record. | Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images

A key player is back in the fold for Simeone. Atlético de Madrid on Tuesday will play its first UEFA Champions League knockout game in nearly two calendar years, and Los Colchoneros will hope to secure a creditable result against last season?s runners-up Internazionale.
Italy?s venerable San Siro (known as Stadio Giuseppe Meazza for Champions League fixtures) will host the first leg of this round of 16 tie, and Diego Simeone ? a former Inter Milan star ? appears ready to rebuild his famed defensive wall in search of a result. Simeone watched as Atlético Madrid mustered 35 percent possession in Saturday?s 5-0 home win over Las Palmas, and the figure could dip even lower on Tuesday, when El Cholo could line up with a potential back six:
Axel Witsel and Joséma Giménez as right-sided central defenders
Mario Hermoso and Reinildo Mandava as left-sided central defenders
Saúl Ñíguez at left wing-back and Nahuel Molina at right wing-back

? Diego Simeone: "Against Almería we had 70-something percent possession. Against Las Palmas, 30. We think about playing one game or another depending on what happens." pic.twitter.com/XQFnd57MVb? Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) February 19, 2024

Inter enter this match on an eight-match winning streak, punctuated with a 4-0 win over Salernitana on Frida...