Atlético de Madrid has played 11 consecutive matches without losing but the coach said about the team’s game that “they can always improve. We must always try to grow from the collective. The important thing is competing well and the team, other than doing it well or not, always competes. On Wednesday we played well the 25 first minutes and had important situations to resolve. Afterwards, the rival improved and the match was evened but the team competes.”

Regarding Fernando Torres, he noted that "the match he played against Elche was important, the one in which he came close to the goal. And the other day he defined with hierarchy and with a lot of intent in the first chance he had. We need that from him, goals, movement, speed and work. He is a guy who responded to what we need from him."

He stressed once again the importance of the points against Athletic, commenting that "I am worried about tomorrow’s match. It is a good opportunity playing at home. We are on the path of being in the Champions League for three consecutive years, where the Club has not achieved this in its more than 100 years of history. The people coming tomorrow have to know our need for them to push, participate and that they are involved in the game because we have been doing a very important job for nearly six months, with many changes of players and the team is still competing. Once again I repeat that tomorrow’s match is more important than Barcelona’s. I wish for a Calderón that understands the time we are at in the League, the opportunity that we have playing at home and a stadium that participates, which is not in silence."