Diego Simeone on consistency, Atlético Madrid’s home form and Rodrigo De Paul | OneFootball

In a press conference before Atlético Madrid’s game against Getafe on Saturday, which was reported by Marca, manager Diego Simeone commented on the state of his team and the prospect of the next few weeks.

When asked about the large gap between Atlético and the league’s top spots, Simeone said, “The gap is indeed very real, and it’s what’s on our minds right now. But we have to wait until the end of the season.”

Los Colchoneros are currently five points off of Real Sociedad in third place, 11 off of Real Madrid in second, and an eye-watering 16 points away from league leaders Barcelona.

“The most difficult part of this game is finding consistency. We will be playing against a manager who has a very clear idea of his style, and we need to know how to take the game in the direction we want so we can continue building momentum,” Simeone added.

Atlético have two wins and a draw from their last three games, making this their longest unbeaten streak since early November.

An important contributing factor to the team’s irregularity has been a poor record playing at home. With a disappointing 14 points in nine games at the Metropolitano, Simeone’s side is one of the worst teams when playing in their own stadium.

“In the games at home we’ve made many mistakes, and while playing away we’ve got a record of a team that could challenge for the league title… we’re going to need the support of all of our fans, of the whole stadium,” said the Argentine in reference to their poor run at home.

Lastly, Simeone commented on Nahuel Molina and Rodrigo De Paul’s improved form since returning from the World Cup.

“[Molina] in the World Cup was one of the best full-backs, and he’s returned with a lot of confidence. He’s improved defensively. He’s earning everything with hard work.” he said on his right-back, who had had a difficult start to the season.

When speaking about De Paul, Simeone added, “Rodrigo is an extraordinary player. He showed it with Argentina, and had very good moments in his first season here… he sees things others can’t see and has a way of understanding the game in the best way possible.”

GSFN | Nicolás Antúnez de Mayolo