Vietto: Goals will come

Luciano Vietto is sure he’ll rediscover his scoring touch soon as he compares life at Atletico Madrid to former club Villarreal.

Vietto left Villarreal for Atletico over the summer but has only netted three times, and not since December, though Diego Simeone has recently praised the 22-year-old’s contribution.

“His words are comforting. I try to be a player who can bring a lot of variants and not only through goals but assists and combinations,” he told an interview with AS.

“I feel like I’ve grown since I came here. I’ve become more of a man. I’m growing and adjusting to everything asked of me.

“There is a change [between Villarreal and Atletico]. Atletico fight for three competitions until the end and that requires you to give the maximum every day.

“It is how I imagined it, a club with large internal competition, all players giving 100%. It’s good for the group because it makes you bring out the best in each other.

“Lately I’ve had minutes, only it’s costing me to find the goals of last season. But I don’t despair because I know it will come.

“I’m interested in bringing things, either assists or combinations. If that was with goals, then that’d be better, but I don’t despair.”

Vietto is one of a number of younger players in Cholo’s squad and revealed who he has been most impressed by, before commending the veterans for their help.

“Jan Oblak. It’s a bit unusual for a goalkeeper to get the attention of a striker, but being so young I was very surprised,” he said of the 23-year-old.

“He transmits a lot of security. He shows why he’s got an unbeaten record every day, which makes us happy.

“[Players such as Gabi, Juanfran, Filipe Luis, Fernando Torres] are an example for us, the younger players. They’re very good and we have to learn from them.”

Vietto is expected to start when Atletico host PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League Round of 16 second leg, and insists the team won’t allow a repeat of the Copa del Rey, when they were eliminated by Celta Vigo after a goalless away trip.

“It’s a very beautiful game, these win or die games, and you have to enjoy it,” Vietto noted, having agreed ties such as this are why he came to Atletico.

“We’ll try not to let [a repeat of Celta] happen. The coaching staff take the utmost care so that these mistakes aren’t repeated. We will be very attentive.

“Vicente Calderon has always felt secure. In this tie, a Champions League tie, which is special, it will be even more so.”

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