Atlético Madrid coach Diego Simeone was in a reflective mood after his team’s 2-1 win away over Osasuna at El Sadar on Tuesday night.
“There’s always something at stake, like finishing as high up the table as possible,” Simeone insisted. “This past weekend (against Celta) we played a good game, but we weren’t as decisive as we were today, which allowed us to take the lead and control the match against an opponent with a lot riding on the game, looking both up and down the standings.
“Whenever we come
here, it’s a tough match: a lot of balls in the box, a lot of people feeling like it’s a penalty, plays that make the referees hesitate,” Simeone continued. “We controlled the game very well, and every time we strung together four passes, we created chances.”
Simeone was also keen to point to the weekend, wrapping up by saying, “we’re taking home the win we wanted, and it gives us momentum for the match against Girona, which will be Antoine’s farewell at our home stadium. Hopefully the fans will be there for him, (to) appreciate him and give him everything he deserves for all he’s given us. We’ve had a genius for many years. Hopefully, with us preparing well for the match and the fans pushing us on, we can have a great game for Antoine.”
Simeone on respect for the competition
“In last week’s match, we had plenty of chances; we could have scored. The firepower is there, it’s real. When you have it, you control the game differently. The guys showed respect for the jersey and for the competition, and hopefully we can keep it up in the two remaining matches.”
Simeone on recent poor league form
“We lost in Seville and didn’t deserve it. We lost in Elche, we started very well, leading 0-1, and ended up down to 10 men; against Valencia and Osasuna, also on the road, we won. We always compete. Sometimes luck is on our side, other times against us, but there wasn’t a single match where we didn’t compete.”
Simeone on Rodrigo Mendoza’s injury
“What happened to Rodrigo was very sudden, but the team adjusted to the change very quickly. We realized that if we could string together four passes, we’d create scoring chances, but we did that only a few times.”
Simeone on the penalty called on Musso
“I was at the other end of the field. As soon as I got closer and saw the replay, it was clear he hit the ball.”
Simeone on Marc Pubill
“Marc is in great form, doing a tremendous job since December. May he stay humble, keep working hard, and may everything that comes his way be the best.”
Simeone on Osasuna’s complaints about refereeing
“How could I not understand it when we complain all the time?”
