Diego Simeone has assured Jackson Martinez that Atletico Madrid “trust him to death”, despite another goalless display on Saturday against Villarreal.
The Colombian failed to score for the fifth successive match after he fired blanks in the 1-0 defeat at El Madrigal, with Fernando Torres replacing him at half-time, but the Coach remains convinced that the €35m man will soon rediscover his prowess in front of goal.
“[The game was] very balanced and defined by the wisdom of the move of the Villarreal goal,” he said after the game, which was won by loanee Leo Baptistao.
“We knew small details would decide the match, but they got their game right and scored the goal.
“We pushed up a lot in the second half but couldn’t overcome their defensive work.
“It’s true that the team didn’t play well in the first half, we struggled and Villarreal were better.
“However, I saw a response in the second half, we stepped forward and reached their goal, but it wasn’t enough.
“[On Villarreal being top], we can see that there are many teams working well.
“There’s a good group of teams in this League, who have started well, and the table reflects this.
“We’re working to be [among the top sides], and so are other teams like Villarreal, as we have seen.
“[Jackson] is a very important player for us and knows he still has improve a lot, but we trust him to death.
“Jackson always pops up at important and defining moments [in games]. Hopefully he can soon.”
