"They have the best attack in Europe" — Atletico boss Simeone snubs Arsenal with UCL claim

Diego Simeone believes Barcelona have "the best attack in Europe," a notable omission of Arsenal, who outscored the Catalan giants during the Champions League group stage.

Simeone's praise came after his Atletico side secured a place in the quarter-finals, where they will face their La Liga rivals.

Despite a 3-2 second-leg loss to Tottenham, Atletico advanced with a 7-5 aggregate victory.

Barcelona booked their spot in the last eight with a dominant performance against Newcastle United.

After a 1-1 draw in the first leg, they dismantled the English side 7-2 at the Camp Nou, sealing an 8-3 aggregate triumph.

The match saw Robert Lewandowski become the oldest scorer in the Champions League knockout phase, with Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Fermin Lopez, and Marc Bernal also finding the net.

With 30 goals in this season's competition, Barcelona are now the top-scoring team. However, they trailed Arsenal's tally after the group stage, where the Gunners scored 23 times, the most of any club, including four against Simeone's own Atletico Madrid.

Despite Arsenal's impressive goal-scoring record, Simeone was unequivocal in his assessment.

"We will try to compete with Barcelona, which is the team we will face. I repeat, they have the best attack in Europe," he stated to reporters.

Looking ahead to the challenging tie, Simeone added, "The opportunity to play in the quarter-finals is of the highest level and it will require this level from us.

"The road ahead will be tough once you reach the quarterfinals, just like in our previous appearances."

He also expressed his satisfaction with his team's progress, saying, "This is a moment to be happy. As a club, as a team, we’re thrilled that our fans will celebrate this passage to the quarter-finals." .