Following a 4-0 demolition of Osasuna at the Metropolitano on Wednesday night, Atlético Madrid coach Diego Simeone pointed to the performance being a continuation of recent weeks.
“In previous matches, our performances have been in patches: a good first half in Bilbao and at Liverpool, a good second half in San Sebastián, and a solid performance throughout in Seville,” Simeone explained. “This time we were more consistent throughout the match. We controlled it in the first half even though we weren’t
clinical; we were clinical in the second half and maintained control.”
Diego Simeone on the 4-0 scoreline
“We always hope for the best. By half-time, we’d already shown enough to have gone in with a few more goals than we actually did. We had to keep working hard throughout the match, and the players responded very well, in every aspect of the game and across the whole pitch. The team maintained the same momentum and were more clinical in the second half. We managed to take control of the match. A 4–0 scoreline might look straightforward, but it’s all complex and tricky.”
Simeone on Johnny Cardoso
“If he plays as he did today, or as he did against Real when he came on, that’s the way to get the coach thinking about him. He’s got what it takes; he just needs to do it consistently, and hopefully he can help us out. He’s been working incredibly hard since last season; he’s had injuries, and hopefully this year he’ll get regular playing time when his chance comes.”
Simeone on how competitive this team is
“I always see them as competitive. Then the match will show just how far we can go. We always try to give our best. This match has absolutely nothing to do with Sunday’s game. We’ll be facing an opponent with incredible attacking strength and we’ll try to take the match in the direction where we think we can cause them problems.”
Simeone on Cuti Romero
“We’ve been after him for two years. He’s also wanted to come here for two years. The club made a huge effort to sign him and he gives us what we need, everything he’s got. Hopefully he can keep that up, given his humility. He’s got a lot of character and presence, and we need him exactly as you see him. He came here to be a key figure for the club and the team.”
Simeone on the possibility of an unchanged line-up
“I select the line-ups based on the opposition. I won’t be sticking with the same line-up for the next match because the opposition is different.”
Simeone on whether any players didn’t want to send a message of support to Ceuta
“These questions are designed to stir up conflict; the fault lies with whoever answers them. Whoever has to sort it out should do so for the city’s sake, that’s what matters.”
