Stefan Savic declared Atletico Madrid are ready to "suffer" as he returns to Manchester City a decade on from helping Roberto Mancini's side win the Premier League.
Defender Savic only played a fleeting part in that title success in 2011-12 but was involved enough to earn a medal, before moving on to Fiorentina after just one season.
Now the Montenegro centre-back is relishing going back to the Etihad Stadium with Atletico for Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg.
Having helped the LaLiga giants edge past Manchester United in the previous round, Savic will be back on the blue side of the city but with his allegiances firmly now with Atletico.
Diego Simeone's side have a formidable work rate that, coupled with abundant ability, has seen them grow into one of Europe's leading teams.
They have twice reached the Champions League final during Simeone's reign, but, like City, have yet to get their hands on the trophy.
"After 10 years I am going to play there again," Savic said of the return to his old stamping ground.
"For me, it will be a special game because it was my first experience outside Montenegro, and to do it in a team as important as Manchester City, the truth is that it was a huge experience where we also won the league after many years."
City's league triumph during Savic's time at the club ended a 44-year wait for a domestic league title, but four have since followed that long-awaited success, with Abu Dhabi owners and world-class coaching and playing staff turning the club into a colossal winning machine.
Savic played a small, almost forgettable part in the early stages of that success, but he said: "I had the opportunity to train and play with the most important players in the world of football at that time and it was a very good experience in my career."
He featured with the likes of Yaya Toure, David Silva, Vincent Kompany, Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero, all of whom have since either retired or moved elsewhere.
City have replaced class with class, so the modern-day stars such as Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling are those that will pose a threat to Atletico.
"We know they are one of the strongest teams in the Champions League, but I think we have the quality and the strength to face this game against Manchester City, and we will have our chance to go through," Savic said, in an interview on Atletico's YouTube page.
"They have enormous attacking potential, but United had it, too. We know that it will be a game where we are going to suffer and even more in their field, because they have very good attacking players, and they are the leaders in the Premier League, so it will be a tough game, but we are ready to face it."
Atletico stretched their winning run in LaLiga to six games on Saturday when they chalked up a 4-1 win over Deportivo Alaves, and they are well placed to clinch a return to next season's Champions League through their domestic results.
Last season was a title-winning campaign for Atletico, and although this term has fallen short of that standard, Simeone's side are currently showing sublime form.
"I think this year the team is in a better moment because we found that regularity," Savic said. "We are very happy, and we hope to continue in that line because now comes the most important part of the season, which is the Champions League and the final stretch of the league, so we hope to get good results."
Ten Hag bemoans late Burnley equaliser - 'It's so unnecessary'
Erik ten Hag was left frustrated as Manchester United "gave it away" against a spirited Burnley, who held them to a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils were on course to claim all three points when Antony pounced on Sander Berge's error to open the scoring in the 79th minute, as they looked to close the gap on fifth-place Tottenham to four points.
However, the hosts could not hold on as Andre Onana was penalised for a foul on Zeki Amdouni, who picked himself up to level from the penalty spot and salvage a point for the visitors three minutes from time.
Ten Hag was made to rue his side's wastefulness as they converted just one of their 27 shots on goal throughout the contest.
"We put ourselves in a winning position and, over long courses of the game, we dominated," he told the BBC. "We played some good football - creating loads of chances - and then to give it away in the end in the final minutes, it's so unnecessary.
"Every team gives up opportunities. But, when it is up to us, it is weird. We created loads of chances as well. We are one of the most dynamic and entertaining teams in the league at this moment. We are creating loads of chances by playing good football.
"We lost control in the second part of the first half when we conceded some chances, but the rest of the game was ours. We were in a winning position, and we gave it away."
Meanwhile, Vincent Kompany saluted the character demonstrated by Burnley, who boosted their Premier League survival hopes by moving to within two points of safety with three games remaining.
"We are where we are in the league for a reason, so not everything can be perfect, but the mentality was perfect - the togetherness, the sacrifice for each other," the Clarets boss said.
"There is tremendous consistency in the club and the approach to each game, even in tough times. We've earned the right to believe and hope."
RB Leipzig 4-1 Borussia Dortmund: Hosts strengthen grip on fourth with crushing win
Champions League semi-finalists Borussia Dortmund suffered a crushing 4-1 Bundesliga defeat at the hands of RB Leipzig on Saturday, denting their hopes of a top-four finish.
Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho put Dortmund ahead after 20 minutes with a curling effort from the left corner of the box, but Edin Terzic's team couldn't hold on.
Lois Openda levelled within three minutes, and Benjamin Sesko pounced with a close-range finish to put Leipzig ahead on the stroke of half-time.
Mohamed Simakan made it 3-1 just one minute after the restart, then Christoph Baumgartner came off the bench to add a fourth with 10 minutes to play.
Dortmund, who host Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final tie on Wednesday, stay fifth, five points behind fourth-placed Leipzig.
They will likely have to wait on confirmation of Germany earning a fifth Champions League qualification place for next season, which was made more likely by a dismal set of results for England's clubs throughout the European quarter-finals earlier this month.
Data Debrief: Dynamic duo lead Leipzig to victory
Goals from Openda and Sesko ensured Leipzig turned Saturday's game around before the halfway point, both players netting in their fourth successive Bundesliga game together.
They are the first pair of team-mates to achieve that feat since Dortmund's Marco Reus and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang did so in February 2015.
Salah: There will be 'fire' if I speak after Klopp clash
Mohamed Salah refused to talk to the media following a touchline clash with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, saying there would be "fire" if he spoke.
Liverpool's Premier League title hopes are hanging by a thread following a 2-2 draw at West Ham on Saturday, and much of the discussion after the game centered on a flare-up between Salah and Klopp in the latter stages of the contest.
Salah, dropped from the starting XI for the visit to the London Stadium, was involved in a furious confrontation with Klopp prior to being substituted on, with the pair having to be separated by Joe Gomez and Darwin Nunez.
Following the game, Salah made a comment as he walked through the media area, refusing to conduct interviews with the press.
"If I speak today there will be fire," Salah stated as he refused to discuss the incident.
Klopp was also not very forthcoming on the confrontation after a draw which leaves his team two points off leaders Arsenal and a point behind second-placed Manchester City having played at least a game less than both of their title rivals.
When asked about the Salah dispute, Klopp told TNT Sports: "I'm not in the mood to talk about that to be honest or look at that at all."
Klopp has just three games left of his Liverpool tenure, and despite the success he has endured at Anfield, including a Premier League title and Champions League glory, it's at risk of ending in a damp squib.
Klopp hopes his team can avoid that disappointing conclusion by finding their form again over the remainder of the campaign.
"We had to win here, we knew that, and we didn't," Klopp continued. "Now we have a little bit more time between now and the next game.
"We try to get the boys ready again and we will go again."
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