Atletico Madrid coach Javier Aguirre insisted on Monday that his side is travelling to Olympique Marseilles with the aim of finishing top of their Champions League group.
With both Atletico Madrid and Liverpool tied on points at the top of Group D and both of them assured of a place in the last 16, goal difference will decide who finishes top of the group to seal a theoretically easier tie in the knockout stage.
Aguirre will probably rest either Kun Aguero or Diego Forlan in Marseilles, but is not ruling out scoring more goals against the French side than?Liverpool net against their rivals PSV Eindhoven.
"The team is looking strong and we have a real chance of finishing first. We are not going to waste the chance to do that," said Aguirre, whose side beat Sporting Gijon 5-2 at the weekend.
Atletico will get a hostile reception in France, because of the controversial three and a half year jail term handed to an Olympique fan for incidents in Atletico's Vicente Calderon stadium in September.
The Spanish side have even taken the step of deciding to fly in and out of Marseilles on the same day to avoid the risk of incidents.
"We are occupied in the game, not worried about it. I think there has been too much emphasis placed on this affair and it has created a lot of controversy."
"It has all been taken too far and now we aim to close this chapter," said Aguirre in words published on the Atletico website.
(Xinhua News Agency December 9, 2008)
