The La Liga side qualified for the quarter-final after beating champions Liverpool 4-2 on aggregate in March.
Leipzig swept into the competition’s quarter-finals for the first time in their history, courtesy of a polished 4-0 aggregate win over Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur.
Atletico Madrid have been tipped as the favourites to progress to the next stage but Simeone has played down such talks by insisting the Bundesliga outfit are equally good.
“It’s a big match against a fantastic team and coach,” the Argentine coach said in his pre-match press conference.
“They change positions constantly and they attack a lot.
“Their numbers show what they’re capable of, so we have a lot of respect for them.”
Simeone was asked if the victory against Liverpool could play a big part in their game against the Germans but the 50-year-old insists it will not have any effect on tonight’s game.
“I don’t think the win over Liverpool can be a reference point because the enthusiasm faded over time,” Simeone added.
“That win was a long time ago.”
