"They are a rival with a lot of history in European competition," Simeone told Marca. "Their current squad is experienced and they have a lot of quality players and a very important manager who has achieved a lot."
"It will be a tough tie for us but it was always going to be that way at this stage of the competition, which is tough to win.
"We must once again show our desire and try to fight for our victory, because this is the most important point of the season and we are hungry for trophies," concluded Simeone.
The first leg of Europa League semi-final takes place on April 26 in London with the second match at Wanda Metropolitano Stadium following Thursday.