Atletico Madrid have prioritised recovery over meticulous planning before facing city rivals Real Madrid in LaLiga on Saturday, coach Diego Simeone said, adding that his team was ready for the top-of-the-table clash.
Real lead the standings with 49 points, one above Atletico, who are three points clear of third-placed Barcelona after 22 games.
Atletico thrashed Getafe 5-0 in the Copa del Rey on Tuesday and Simeone said their focus had yet to turn to Saturday’s derby.
“We haven’t talked about the match yet,” Simeone told a press conference on Friday.
“We have chosen to recover well and tomorrow afternoon we will decide where we are going to be in the match, knowing that we are facing an opponent with great individualities, which makes them extremely dangerous.
“With all that context, knowing what we’re going to face, we’ll be prepared to play the game we want to play.”
Recent Madrid derbies have been tight, with four 1-1 draws and two wins for each side in the league over the past four years.
However, Real have not won any of the last four league fixtures between the teams.
“We know what we’re up against, a rival who will start off strong, very determined,” Simeone said.
“They’re very good with and without controlling the space, and we will have to take the game to where we think we can hurt them.”
Real will host Atletico coming off a last-gasp 3-2 win over lowly local rivals Leganes in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals and a 1-0 league defeat at Espanyol last weekend, their third in the campaign.
Atletico won their last three games across all competitions, including a 4-1 victory at RB Salzburg that helped them secure a top-eight finish in the league phase of the Champions League.
The Argentine coach added that he had not decided on his lineup for Saturday’s match.
“You have to interpret what is most important for the team,” he continued.
“I imagine a 95 or 96-minute match where we need to be prepared for everything. Everything has an influence, from who starts to who finishes.”
