Atleti: Maximum Concentration to Conquer the League
Atlético de Madrid is focused on fighting for La Liga and Champions League, and captain Koke has insisted on the importance of taking care of every detail. The team is aware that any mistake can be costly, especially in the penalty area.
The focus is on avoiding penalties, an aspect that has affected the team in several matches this season. With seven penalties against so far this season (four in the Champions League and three in La Liga), the situation is worrying.
The last two penalties awarded at the Metropolitano against Villarreal and Celta, resulted in setbacks that forced the team to come back. The locker room is aware that the refereeing criteria are strict and that any stamp in the area can be punished with a penalty.
Simeone has also expressed the need to apply logic when interpreting the plays, but the message in the team is clear: maximum caution in the area. Teams such as Celta, Villarreal and Alavés in La Liga, and Lille, Slovan and Benfica in the Champions League have had the opportunity to take penalties against Atleti, most of them at home.
Statistics reveal that the rate of penalties against is high, surpassed only in the 2008-09 and 21-22 season in the Simeone era. With many matches and titles at stake, Atleti seeks to minimize these errors to achieve its objectives.
