New goals, not old foes, on Simão's horizon

Winger Simão is looking beyond old rivalries on his return to Portugal with Club Atlético de Madrid, as his team chase a place in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

'One of the best'
The one-time Sporting Clube de Portugal prospect spent six years in the service of SL Benfica, arch-rivals of Atlético's first knockout round rivals FC Porto, before moving to the Spanish capital in 2007. However, Simão says that the competition, rather than the opposition, is his motivation. "It's the last 16," he said, "and it's a huge game for us – that's why it's special. We're playing a very good team in Porto, just as we have done in the league recently against Real Madrid and Barcelona. Porto are one of the best teams in the Champions League, so it won't be easy."

Impressive
The Portuguese international admits he was impressed by Jesualdo Ferreira's side in the 2-2 first-leg draw at the Vicente Calderón, but says the quality they displayed was hardly a revelation to him or his team-mates. "We respected them already," he stressed. "We know how they play and that they have a coach who is very good tactically. We played a very open game and they took advantage of that."

No panic
Simão thinks a steady temperament is now essential if Atlético are to take control of their UEFA Champions League destiny. "The important thing will be to play a good game, and not to worry too much about getting an early goal," he said. "Porto played very well and scored twice in Madrid, but we now have 90 minutes in front of us and we just have to make sure we score more than they do."

History
Though Simão played down such reports, the Portuguese media have spent the week pointing out his knack of scoring key goals against Porto. Perhaps the most famous was his extra-time penalty that won the Portuguese Cup for the Eagles in 2004, denying José Mourinho's men the treble. "That's all in the past," said the 29-year-old. "The most important thing is that Atlético win. It really doesn't matter to me who scores." After a pause for breath, Simão continued: "If I have the chance to score, though, I will be very happy to take it."