Diego Pablo Simeone, in the previous morning match of the Copa del Rey against Barcelona, offered this morning his typical press conference. He was quiet. He replied briefly, gave few clues about the eleven (unless Juan Musso will continue in the goal), he praised his team’s campaign, praised the rival and in particular to Lewandowski, whom he gave as an example of a striker and refused to answer questions about Julián Álvarez’s penalty that cost his team elimination in the Champions League.
For Simeone, “Barcelona plays extraordinaryly. It has a very good courage, but the first leg was very disputed and we are going to try to take it to where we hurt them. It does not seem strange to me that they have made so many goals because they play with the same intensity the entire game. Of course, we will have. We will try to take advantage of our best moments and isolate them from that potential,” he said.
The expectation
A game similar to the first leg
The Atlético coach is convinced that tomorrow a game similar to that of the first leg will be seen: “I do not think there are many changes in the way of playing from each other. We will cross different moments and each one will try to take it to where it can give up better.” Then, he said Juan Musso will play, not Oblak. The Argentine has played the entire cup.
Simeone had words of praise for Lewandowski: “First of all, congratulate him. His numbers are incredible. I admire above all his perseverance. He is a player to admire and for the new ones, look at him and learn.”
The season
Failure is not trying
Simeone does not believe that from falling eliminated the Atlético season is a failure: “Failure is a broad word. He who does not try, fails, the one who tries, does not fail. The season is being very good. We have competed very well in the three competitions. The destination of the game will dictate if the season at the end is very good, extraordinary or regular.”
Simeone analyzed Griezmann’s form: “During the season each person has different moments to cross. When we get so used to so much talent, so much goal and that does not appear the need for him to return. I hope and I want him to appear tomorrow,” he said.
Then, he talked about his center of the countryside: “We have good possibilities with different characteristics. Gallagher plays more where Rodrigo de Paul, with a higher intensity although Rodrigo has more talent. Between Pablo Barrios and Koke the same thing happens. Barrios has more intensity and Koke an ability to read the game … possibly the best we have.”
The game
A semifinal, not the final
Simeone points out that tomorrow is not a final for them: “We are going to divide things. People have behaved incredibly, with the full stadium, singing in all games. The strength of the stadium helps us to have great results, but tomorrow it is not a final, it is a semifinal. You have to face it as it is.”
Asked about the elimination in the Champions League, Simeone shook his head and simply said: “Barcelona.”
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