Tiago: Atleti won’t change for derby

Atletico Madrid midfielder Tiago says Los Rojiblancos will not change their style of play for Saturday’s derby with Real Madrid.

Diego Simeone’s men are unbeaten in the last five games against their cross-city rivals and the Portugal international acknowledges the way that Atleti have performed in those fixtures has served them well.

“As always, we know our opponents well,” said the 33-year-old in an exclusive interview with ‘La Pregunta Mahou’.

“The last few times we’ve played them we’ve done very well and I don’t think the Coach is going to change things around too much.

“We will try to be strong, form a solid block, and look to create danger at every opportunity, but when two great teams play each other it’s the small details that decide the game.

“I think it’s important for us to score as soon as possible to gain even more confidence, while our defence must try to nullify the danger posed by Real Madrid.

“But we are playing very well and are coming off the back of a victory on a difficult pitch [against Eibar] where we responded very well. Even so, we will be facing a great side who are top of La Liga, but we are looking forward to it.

“Our support at the Vicente Calderon is something that goes in our favour, even more so in the games where we are playing for something special,” he explained.

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