Atletico Madrid have the best defence in Europe’s top five leagues as they look to reclaim top spot in LaLiga, but Diego Simeone said on Friday they must be vigilant against Celta Vigo, one of the league’s best scoring teams.
Atletico are second in LaLiga, a point behind leaders Real Madrid after 23 games. Simeone’s side have conceded 15 goals and kept 11 clean sheets in the league.
Although Celta Vigo are 12th with a negative goal difference, they are still the sixth-best scoring team in Spain having scored 34 goals, four fewer than Atletico.
“I don’t look at those (defence) statistics because they are just numbers. The only thing that counts is how you finish,” Simeone told reporters ahead of Saturday’s game at home.
“Along the way, we go game by game, which is what gives you the possibility, in the end, of reaching our goals.”
Celta Vigo snapped a five-match winless run in all competitions when they beat Real Betis 3-2 last weekend after a second-half comeback when they were 2-0 down.
“With Celta Vigo, there is no clearer point than to focus on what comes next. They are a team that plays very well offensively,” Simeone said.
“They have achieved success since the arrival of the coach and with many youngsters interpreting his playing philosophy very well. It is a brave team that plays with many players in the opposition’s half.
“The other day they turned around a game that they were losing 2-0. That surely gives you enthusiasm, so I imagine it will be a game that we will have to take to them, where we believe that we can hurt them.”
Simeone has experimented with different formations in LaLiga this season and has competition for places on the right wing with his son Giuliano Simeone, Nahuel Molina and Marcos Llorente jostling for starts.
“There is healthy competition in all positions, and a lot of competition to see who we can start with. We are going to need everyone,” he said.
“There is competition on the right, in the centre, on the left and even in goal. I hope we continue in this line of helping the team.
“I have no doubts, we need everyone. We have a run of very important matches coming up. As always, we are trying to find the players in each match who can solve it.”
