Atletico de Madrid vs Levante preview - Perea wants Atleti improvement

Posted Sunday, November 20, 2011 by PA

Atletico Madrid defender Luis Perea insists the team have lacked intensity so far this season as they struggle to put a consistent run of results together.

Perea and co host surprise high-flyers Levante op night, having started the weekend in 11th place with only one win in seven Primera Division matches.

Atletico's home form is good, having won three and drawn three in their six games at the Vicente Calderon so far this season but they have taken just one point from a possible 15 away.

Perea believes the team need to raise their game immediately.

The Colombian told www.marca.com: "In football you have to play with intensity every day and maybe in some games, for whatever reason, we have not gone in with the same intensity and when we try to react it is difficult (to recover).

"The need to win every game always makes it crucial to engage. We cannot continue to lose points because our direct competitors are still pulling away from us.

"The tragedy is that almost always we are about to pick up (our form) and then we hit these bumps. There is always a requirement to win here. Beyond all that has happened there is a lot at stake at home and then everyone is aware that they have to give a little more of what they have given so far."

Atletico striker Radamel Falcao is struggling with a hamstring problem which forced him to miss Colombia's World Cup qualifiers in the recent international break, while Antonio Lopez is likely to miss out as he continues his recuperation from minor knee surgery earlier this month.

Levante head to the capital aiming to avoid a third straight defeat, having previously won seven in a row in an unbeaten nine-game start to the campaign.

Full-back Asier Del Horno trained away from the main group on Friday as he recovers from a leg injury, while Carlos Aranda and Juanfran were back in the main contingent after their own injury problems and could play.