Mario Suarez: 'We did not want Real Madrid'

Atletico Madrid midfielder Mario Suarez has admitted that his team did not want to draw Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

In a repeat of last season's final, the Madrid rivals will meet in the last-eight stage of the competition next month.

Atletico avoided the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich, but Suarez has admitted that they also wanted to dodge Real Madrid.

"Madrid are a great team and they are on an upward path at the moment," Suarez told El Partido de las 12.

"Nobody wanted to come across them but it's a very good tie. We'll be going all out to win both games because neither of us will want a draw.

"There will be a lot of intensity. It's a derby in the best club competition in the world and there is a great rivalry between us at the moment. I recommend that everybody watches it."

Real Madrid are attempting to become the first team in the modern era to successfully defend the Champions League.