The Atlético de Madrid coach, Diego Pablo Simeone, praises José Mourinho ahead of the derby this Sunday at the Metropolitano (16:15) and asks his players for "security" to avoid losing possession.
The Metropolitano will host the first Madrid derby of the season between Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid this Sunday at 16:15. The match comes with the rojiblancos in a rebuilding phase after a summer in which Griezmann left and Kang-In Lee arrived, while the whites are launching the project of José Mourinho, as explained by the Atlético coach in the pre-match press conference, reported by cadenaser.com.
Simeone has not hidden his relationship with the Portuguese coach: "I have great admiration for Mourinho. He knows the regard I have for him." This statement comes ahead of a clash where the Argentine has made it clear that the main objective for his team is to avoid losing possession.
They have a more powerful transition than ours. With any loss of the ball, they look for that option with Mbappé and Vinicius. From our side, we need to try not to have losses, which is what they have shown they do best.
The rojiblanco coach has insisted on the word "security" as key to facing the match. "Calm, above all calm. There is a word that is security; if you have security in what you do, it can go wrong or right, but it is the way," Simeone pointed out, who preferred not to give advice to the younger players: "I am not one to give advice. I do share experiences. It is normal to feel the pressure, the excitement that a match like tomorrow's at the Metropolitano with our people generates."
Regarding the form of both teams, the coach avoided drawing conclusions from previous matches. "We are used to the fact that the previous match is not related to the city classic. I don't understand why our previous matches or theirs should have anything to do with this match," he added.
When asked about the growing rivalry between the two Madrid clubs, Simeone highlighted the atmosphere leading up to the match. "There is a huge tension and excitement due to the rivalry and the competitiveness we have managed to recover in the last 15 years," said the Argentine, who also assured that they will try to take the match where they believe they can hurt Real Madrid.
As for the starting eleven, Simeone did not give hints about the starting position of Julián Álvarez. "He will be with us. Then we will decide if he starts or comes on during the match," said the coach, keeping the debate open in the rojiblanco attack.
The derby will take place this Sunday at 16:15 at the Metropolitano, a venue where last season Atlético defeated Real Madrid 5-2.
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