Atletico Madrid need to step up in order to secure Champions League qualification, manager Diego Simeone said on the eve of Saturday’s LaLiga trip to Mallorca.
Atletico are fourth in the standings with 64 points, seven behind third-placed Girona with five matches left. Simeone’s side lead Athletic Bilbao, in fifth place, by six points.
They were knocked out of the Champions League after a 5-4 quarter-final aggregate loss to German’s Borussia Dortmund.
“We are thinking about tomorrow’s game, hopefully we can be in the top four as we have been these years, but it is more difficult every day,” Simeone told reporters on Friday.
“There is improvement in the other teams, we have to improve.”
Atletico have struggled defensively this season, having failed to keep a clean sheet since a 5-0 home win over Las Palmas in February.
“When you talk about defence, people misunderstand and think that it’s only the defenders,” Simeone said.
“The defence is a team and we have conceded a lot of goals because we haven’t been able to work as a team.”
The Argentine said his team will have their work cut out to claim all three points against 16th-placed Mallorca.
“We have a tough opponent like Mallorca… they work with a coach who I admire for his calmness and his ability to compete. I admire those coaches,” he said. “We will face a tough and difficult game,” Simeone said.
“When the season is over and the accounts are closed, I’ll be able to comment on how I feel and what I think about the objectives (since he took charge of Atletico).”
