Former Spurs star is key man in Atletico challenge

KIERAN TRIPPIER will join Atletico Madrid’s “brutal desire” to win the Champions League against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus tonight.

The England full-back made his last appearance for Tottenham in the final defeat by Liverpool at Atletico’s Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in June.

But the Spanish side have also suffered their share of Champions League heartbreak after losing the

2014 and 2016 finals to city rivals

Real Madrid.

A summer overhaul saw the sale of Rodri to Manchester City and Antoine Greizmann to Barcelona, while Trippier arrived along with £113million signing Joao Felix from Benfica.

But coach Diego Simeone remains – and will tonight equal the Spanish record of being in charge of 91 European club matches – while Uruguayan defender Jose Maria Gimenez revealed the club is driven to finally win the

Champions League.

Gimenez (with Simeone, below), said: “We have many new teammates and we will show them what the Champions League means to us at Atleti. We have a brutal desire to win it.

“We always have pressure here, and that mentality is instilled in you early. We were close twice but football is like that. You have to be prepared for everything.” Atletico won the first leg against Juventus in the round of 16 last season before a Ronaldo hat-trick took the Italians through.

But there could be a strange atmosphere tonight, with Juventus fans threatening to boycott the tie over the arrest of 12 leaders of their ‘ultras’.