Diego Simeone has made clear his intention to take Getafe seriously in the second leg of their Copa del Rey clash.
Atleti go into the second leg of their Last 16 tie against their city rivals already 3-0 up from the first leg. However, Simeone rejected the notion of the game being a walkover.
“It’s a two-legged encounter and hopefully we can decide the second leg at our best – working and driving with the same identity as we always have,” El Cholo told reporters.
“The Cup has always taught us to be vigilant and to play with a concentration that this tournament requires.
“Radamel Falcao will play and from there we will also see if Arda Turan starts from the beginning or not.
“I will not think to giving minutes to players just because they have not played elsewhere. I try to look at every game we play, read it in the best way and, on that basis, I try to place the best players possible for each situation.
“We’ve done this in the Europa League and with a huge effort from the players. The best way is to continue along our line of what is expected from the players, the coaching staff… We cannot be content with what we have done.
“We will be valued for Thursday’s game and so on in the coming months.”
“We had a great year, that place is down to the players’ performance. Without the support of the team, the club and again the players, I would not be in that position.”
