Atletico's focus still on winning LaLiga
Head coach Diego Simeone believes that Atletico Madrid can still win the LaLiga title this season despite a poor run of form that has seen his side lose ground at the top of the table.
Atletico is third on the standings, nine points behind leader Barcelona and six adrift of city rival Real Madrid ahead of a trip to 11th-placed Sevilla on Monday (AEDT).
But Simeone's side has struggled of late. It is winless in its past three LaLiga matches, losing two and drawing one, its worst run in the competition since producing the same record in November 2022.
Atletico also crashed out of the Copa del Rey to Barca in midweek, while it also suffered an exit from the UEFA Champions League to Los Blancos last month.
The LaLiga title represents Atletico's only chance of lifting silverware this season, and Simeone is looking to his players to rebuild momentum in the league this weekend.
"The team is working well, the focus is now on LaLiga, and we have to compete until the end in the best way," Simeone said ahead of the trip to Sevilla.
Asked whether his side was strong enough to contend for the title, he said: "Yes."
Atletico is without a major honour since its LaLiga success in 2020-2021, with fans fearing another campaign without a trophy after a promising start to the season.
Simeone, however, said there was still room for growth in his team and added that he had built a legacy at the club.
"Since I arrived at Atletico, I’ve always pursued pure growth, and I believe there's still a lot of room for it," Simeone, who has managed Atletico since 2011, said.
"What used to be 'hopes and maybes' are now real possibilities. But the most important thing is the legacy we're leaving.
"We compete very well against Real Madrid and Barcelona. I told the players the other day, I'm proud of them for the legacy they're leaving.
"The beauty lies in walking that path. The players have been playing well even though they haven't got results, so Sevilla will be a difficult match."
Atletico confirmed that Rodrigo De Paul and Samuel Lino will likely miss the Sevilla match because of some low-grade muscle injuries.
Simeone said midfielder Koke could return to the side after not playing in its past nine games in all competitions because of a muscle injury.
