Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone was full of praise for his players following their crucial 1-0 La Liga win over Alaves.
Los Rojiblancos maintained their four point lead at the top of the league table thanks to Luis Suarez’s second half strike, in a positive end to a difficult week for the club.
Simeone’s side were dumped out of the Champions League by Chelsea in midweek and their domestic form has hit an inconsistent patch in March.
However, the Argentine coach hailed the resilience of his squad in getting a vital three points against their Basque visitors.
“After the elimination from the Champions League, the commitment and work of the group has been extraordinary,” he told a post match interview with Marca.
“We controlled the game but we were not incisive enough to make scoring chances and close out the game.
“As the league progresses, the differences are minimal between the top teams.
“In the second half we improved, scored a great goal but when you win 1-0, you always suffer.”
Simeone also praised match winner Suarez and goal keeper Jan Oblak, who saved a late penalty, as the key stars in their title push.
Atletico will now be able to solely concentrate on trying to secure a first league title since 2016 with 10 games still to play in the 2020/21 campaign.
Up next for Simeone after the international break is a trip to Andalucia to face Champions League chasing Sevilla.
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