Diego Simeone commended his Atletico Madrid troops for a ‘dominant’ performance following their 2-0 victory over Cordoba on Saturday.
First-half goals from Antoine Griezmann and Saul Niguez were enough to secure a third straight win and clean sheet in all competitions for Los Colchoneros, who temporarily move up to third in La Liga.
“The team came out [onto the pitch] with a very clear idea of what they needed to do and we won the game inside 20 minutes,” the Coach said after the game.
“Through pressure and a set-piece, we found the paths to goal and that allowed us to control the game more calmly.
“Besides our dominance, we were always looking to close the game. There’s a feeling that [Cordoba] could have scored on the 80th minute, when they hit the crossbar or tested [Jan] Oblak near the end.
“The best thing about our team is how the match went, how we interpreted it, started it, controlled it and gave the impression that we were dominant.
“[Saul’s] recovered. He found it difficult at first, like some of his teammates, because it was so hot.
“It wasn’t easy to combine and play but he’s a great late runner from midfield, scored a goal and keeps improving.
“[Antoine] Griezmann scored a great goal and [Mario] Mandzukic worked hard from the first minute because he helped to sustain our attacks.
“We used him a lot and the first goal came from a move which started from him on the left. He’s a very important player for us and we need him in his best condition.
“I spoke to the lads [after the game]. I need the team to understand that I need them all [for the final lap of the season].
“It doesn’t matter if it’s for 10, 20 or 60 minutes, what matters is how they perform when I need them because I think we have a great squad.”
