Simeone reveals his only demand for Atlético ahead of the Valladolid game

Atlético de Madrid hope to keep pace with FC Barcelona and Real Madrid by taking three points in Valladolid on Saturday night.

Atlético Madrid (8-5-1, 29 points) have won six games in a row across all competitions, and Tuesday’s 6-0 win over Sparta Praha was their most complete performance of the season to date. Atlético controlled the game from start to finish and a similar stunner on Saturday could help Los Rojiblancos snap their first seven-game winning streak across all competitions since spring 2018.

As an incentive, Atlético know at the start of the kickoff at José Zorrilla that a win will bring Diego Simeone’s men to within two points of the leaders Barcelonawho lost at home to Las Palmas in Saturday’s early kickoff.

“I don’t compare myself or my team to anyone,” Simeone told Friday when asked about LaLiga’s title run. “We look at ourselves, we try to improve and grow as a team day by day, regardless of what happens to others.”

Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

Valladolid (2-3-9, 9 points) are bottom of LaLiga, which has put manager Paulo Pezzolano – the man who brought them back from Segunda six months ago – under considerable pressure as Pucela look to avoid another relegation from the top spot in three seasons. Former Barça youth player Raúl Moro is responsible for 30 percent of Valladolid’s 10 goals, the joint-lowest total in the league through 14 rounds, and no team has produced more goals than Pezzolano’s group with 27.

In contrast, Atlético have LaLiga’s best defense with eight goals conceded and Los Colchoneros have won each of their last five meetings with Pucela – including the 2-1 league win on 22 May 2021.

“Valladolid is a very competitive team, they play as a collective and with great dedication,” said Simeone. “They are playing with a high intensity, higher than in the last games we have played. Hopefully we can match the intensity that they are going to show.”

El Cholo plans to start Antoine Griezmann instead of Alexander Sørloth alongside Julián Alvarez in attack on Saturday night; it may well be the only change from the side that defeated Sparta Prague, meaning the in-form Giuliano Simeone will retain his place on the right wing, while Clément Lenglet and a consistently healthy Josema Gimenez will keep it down on defense. Robin Le Normand is getting closer to returning from his brain injury but is unlikely to play in Valladolid as his absence exceeds the two-month mark; the Spanish centre-back could be back in Cáceres when Atlético travel there to face the fourth tier Cacereño in the Copa del Rey on Thursday.

“The team is improving, it has grown for a few weeks with a much stronger blocking, we have improved defensively and we are growing offensively,” Simeone said. “Those who come in as substitutes do very well and that’s the strength of the team: not just the starters, but those who come in later and contribute.”

Date 30 November 2024

Location Estadio José Zorrilla, Valladolid, Castile and León

Kickoff time 21:00 CEST, 20:00 GMT, 15:00 ET, 12:00 PT

TV/streaming available ESPN+ (USA), DAZN (Spain)