Atletico de Madrid vs Real Betis - Diego Simeone seeks win over Real Betis

Posted Friday, April 01, 2016 by PA

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has urged his team to secure victory over Real Betis on Saturday afternoon to put pressure on Primera Division leaders and Champions League opponents Barcelona.

Champions Barca, who host rivals Real Madrid in Saturday evening's Clasico, hold a nine-point advantage over second-placed Atletico with eight rounds of matches remaining in La Liga.

Wins for the two Madrid sides this weekend would reduce that advantage to six, ahead of Atletico's trip to Barca on Tuesday for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

Simeone, in quotes published on on Atletico's official website ahead of a season-defining few days, said: "The best way to continue growing and thinking about our match is doing a good job in the one you have to play, and given the importance the league has.

"We are very close, with the possibility that if we do well (on Saturday, against Betis) and Barcelona don't win, we can get closer and well... everything is always exciting.

"So we hope to respond in the right way."

Asked if he plans to watch El Clasico, he responded: "Yes, it is 8.30pm (local time) - a schedule that means it can be viewed calmly.

"The only thing that we can really do is try to do things well. We will go with hope and enthusiasm to a stadium I imagine will be full.

"We will have to produce a performance with great intensity from the beginning."

In preparation for Tuesday's game at the Nou Camp Simeone is expected to rest Gabi, retain Antoine Griezmann, and possibly recall Augusto Fernandez for Matias Kranevitter, but he is short of central-defensive options.

Diego Godin, who it is hoped will return on Tuesday, Jose Gimenez, and Stefan Savic are out, Lucas Hernandez has a back injury, and the versatile Saul Niguez is carrying a knock.

Wingers Oliver Torres and Yannick Carrasco are also injured, as is midfielder Tiago.

Two straight defeats mean 13th-placed Betis, who are six points above the bottom three, remain in danger of slipping into the relegation mire. They have won just three of their past 17 fixtures.

Coach Juan Merino must pick a team without injured defender Cristiano Piccini, and is also expecting Ricky van Wolfswinkel and Rafael van der Vaart to miss out.

Jorge Molina could be recalled for Leandro Damiao, whose conditioning has been questioned.

Defender German Pezzella, quoted on Betis' website, said: "We know how (Atletico) play, their intensity, defensive order, and they have dangerous strikers.

"We need to try to have ball possession but we also need to be careful because they are very fast on the counter-attack."