Atlético Madrid coach Diego Simeone spoke to journalists before his side faced Real Betis for the second time in 72 hours, looking to build momentum after a 5-0 win in Seville earlier in the week.
When
asked whether Thursday’s clash could be a turning point, he explained “I don’t think so, we played well and we have to continue in the same vein as we have been doing.
“In this match, we were much more decisive and that made everything that happened easier,” Simeone said. “We must maintain the same enthusiasm and we need our fans in the stadium, with much more momentum and energy, with the fans behind the goal close to the team, because we need them and we hope they can be there.”
Diego Simeone on replacing Pablo Barrios
“(We’ll replace him) with the lads who are available. Vargas, Rodrigo, Llorente and (Javi) Serrano, who we brought up to accompany them. Anyone can help in that position.”
Simeone on the draw against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey
“I don’t have anything to say about that match yet. We need to talk about the one that matters to us, which is Betis. It won’t be the same as the Copa match, it will be different. We’re facing a team that’s hurting, wounded from the match we played at their ground. We have to be careful.”
Simeone on Ademola Lookman
“We’ll try to get to know each other little by little. He’ll get to know the team and we’ll get to know his attacking characteristics, his approach to attacking and working with the team to find what works best for us.”
Simeone on the difference between the matches against Levante and Betis
“I think that no two matches are the same and the characteristics of each one are different. Levante and Betis play differently. I insist, and even more so after watching the match again, that Betis didn’t play badly in the first 10 minutes and after going 0-1 down, they could have made it 1-1 with the move where Marc (Pubill) slipped. We were decisive in the transitions, which we were able to convert. And then, at 0-3, it’s easier to play.”
Simeone on the mental impact of the win on Thursday
“Mentally, what happened to us is positive because it reinforces the team’s play and the moment, everything we have to go through from here on out. We have to live with these excessive fixtures, which I never liked, and start from scratch and compete with an opponent who is wounded and against whom, I repeat, we need our fans.”
Simeone on the fitness of Sørloth and Julián
“I have no doubt that we don’t depend on goals from Griezmann, Lookman, Sørloth and Julián. We depend on collective play, set pieces and everything they can generate together. I’m happy that the team has reacted that way at the back because it’s clear that it’s not just the forwards’ goals that count.”
