Granada CF vs Atletico de Madrid - Simeone reaches major milestone with Atletico

Diego Simeone insists he will not be distracted by reaching a landmark as Atletico Madrid coach on Saturday evening.

Simeone, who was appointed Atleti boss four years ago this month, will be in the dugout for the 150th time in a Primera Division fixture at Granada.

"The truth is that I wasn't very aware of this situation," Simeone said at his pre-match press conference.

"Everything that has come about in this time is due to the work of the coaching staff, because of the work of the players most of all, and also the chance to work with stability for almost four years.

"That growth has involved everyone, so obviously the 150th match is something great, but nothing takes me away from thinking how Granada play and, obviously, how difficult the match will be."

Second-placed Atleti trail Barcelona by four points but could close the gap to one before the league leaders kick off at Valencia.

And Simeone has heaped praise on 21-year-old Saul Niguez, believing the midfielder is capable of filling the void created by the long-term absence of Tiago to a leg fracture.

Saul scored the winner in the 2-1 Copa del Rey victory over Reus Deportiu in midweek and Simeone said: "He has absolutely everything.

"He can play anywhere in the midfield, he can score, he can pass well.

"We will be very demanding, because we believe that being demanding is the only way to make players like him improve."

Granada lie one point above the relegation zone after winning only once in 11 league games and suffered a first leg Copa del Rey defeat to Segunda Division Leganes on Tuesday.

But Granada defender Dimitri Foulquier said the players were encouraged by taking four points from their last two league games, a 2-2 draw at Malaga coming on the back of a 2-0 home win over Athletic Bilbao.

"The cup and the league are two different things," Foulquier said at a pre-match press conference.

"We are on a roll. We got four points from two games and we have to go on fighting.

"Atletico are a very strong team, who makes much of the mistakes of the opposing team, and we have to be very focused throughout the match.

"We're going out to win and then you never know what will happen in a soccer game."