Diego Simeone highlighted the importance of Atletico Madrid maintaining their high levels from recent games when they travel to Rayo Vallecano in LaLiga.

Atletico stormed to a stunning 4-0 win in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final against Barcelona in midweek, with Antoine Griezmann, Ademola Lookman and Julian Alvarez all on the scoresheet.

It was their second big scoreline in the competition in as many games, having thrashed Real Betis 5-0 in the quarter-finals, but sandwiched between those wins was a 1-0 loss to the same opponents in the league.

That defeat ended a six-game unbeaten streak in the top flight for Atletico, and Simeone is keen to build on the win over Barcelona with another good performance on Sunday.

"It's not really about letting up, it's about maintaining what the team is conveying, despite losing to Betis the other day," Simeone said. 

"We had a very good first half, and we need to continue in the same vein, whoever plays.

"We've been saying it for years, and I can confirm it now that we have two more Champions League games ahead of us: we need everyone, and everyone means everyone.

"Whether it's 60, 90, 40, 10 [minutes], whatever it takes, we need the team on the pitch and the group as a whole."

Vallecano are in desperate need of points as they sit just inside the relegation zone, one point from safety, having lost each of their last three games.

Atletico, meanwhile, sit third in LaLiga and have the chance to give themselves some breathing space over Villarreal, who lost to Getafe on Saturday.

They have fallen out of the title race, though, causing Simeone's future at Atletico to be called into question.

The Argentine, though, was full of praise for the club he has been at since December 2011, saying he is not looking too far ahead at this time.

"Honestly, if you ask me for a word that sums up my feelings for this club, I can't find one," he said.

"I am grateful, I am thankful every day for the place I have, and for the affection I receive, and for the luck I have had in sharing it with players who have always brought an idea to the pitch and conveyed it with the passion I feel for this game.

"But I don’t have a word that can sum up and explain the feeling I have. I'm thinking about Rayo, I have thousands of things going on in my head."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Rayo Vallecano – Jorge de Frutos

De Frutos has scored seven goals in 20 LaLiga matches in the 2025-26 season. It marks his highest tally in a single campaign in the competition.

Atletico Madrid – Alexander Sorloth

Sorloth has scored seven goals in as many LaLiga appearances against Vallecano.

It is his most in the competition against a single opponent, while another goal here could take him clear as Atletico's top scorer this season (currently seven, level with Alvarez).

MATCH PREDICTION – ATLETICO MADRID WIN

Simeone has won 80% of his matches as Atletico coach against Rayo Vallecano in LaLiga (W16 D3 L1); only against Osasuna (85%) and Getafe (80.8%) does he have a better win percentage in the competition, against rivals he has faced at least 15 times.

Atleti are unbeaten in their last eight away games against Vallecano in LaLiga (W6 D2), their longest run against them in the competition. 

Los Rojiblancos have also lost just two of their last 10 away matches in LaLiga (W3 D5), having lost three of their previous five (W1 D1).

Vallecano have lost each of their last three LaLiga games and failed to win any of their last 17 matches against Atletico in the competition (D3 L14).

This is their longest current winless streak against any opponent in the top flight.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Rayo Vallecano – 24.3%

Draw – 25.3%

Atletico Madrid – 50.4%