Atletico Madrid’s six-game winning streak has given it a massive boost in confidence, but manager Diego Simeone said on Friday that his team still had much room for improvement ahead of Saturday’s La Liga game at Real Valladolid.
After a dire spell earlier in the season when it won just one out of six games, Atletico has put together a run of six straight victories in all competitions, the last of which was an emphatic 6-0 thrashing of Sparta Prague in the Champions League.
“It was not so bad before and not so good now. Extremes are never good and everyone can have their own opinion,” Simeone told reporters about his side’s marked improvement.
“We have a competitive team when we win and when we lose, even if there are bad moments that we always have to go through. The team is improving and growing. The basis is that those who come in are doing very well, not just the eleven who start.
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“We can improve in all facets, defensively and offensively, we have to find stability and find the best version of each one of us. I am happy with what is happening to the team, but I know the responsibility we have.”
Atletico is third in the La Liga standings with 29 points, one behind second-placed rival Real Madrid and five behind league leader Barcelona, which have both dropped points in recent weeks.
Asked if he felt like his side were currently better than the two teams ahead of it in the table, Simeone said: “I don’t compare myself to anyone. We look at ourselves and try to improve and grow as a team every day, regardless of what happens to everyone else.”
Atletico will fancy its chances of adding to its winning streak against bottom-club Valladolid, but Simeone urged caution, adding: “They’re a highly competitive team, they always play with great commitment and great collective behaviour. Very intense, higher than in the last few games we’ve played.”
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