Simeone: Atletico motivated for Champions League battle
A mixed start to the Champions League campaign sees Atletico Madrid 19th in the table, something Diego Simeone wants to improve this week.
Diego Simeone believes there is still room for Atletico Madrid to improve, but is confident they have the motivation to get a much-needed win over Union Saint-Gilloise.
Atletico made a stuttering start to the 2025-26 season, and though they have settled in LaLiga, the same has not happened in the Champions League.
Simeone's side have won just once in the competitions so far – a 5-1 thumping of Eintracht Frankfurt at home – which has come sandwiched between defeats to Liverpool and Arsenal.
It is as many group/league game defeats as they suffered in 2023-24 and 2024-25 combined (W10 D2 L2), while they have not suffered three such losses since 2022-23.
As such, Atletico sit 19th in the table, with USG five places behind them due to an inferior goal difference, having lost heavily to Newcastle United and Inter.
However, Simeone says Atletico are continuously getting better and are determined to get the points they need for qualification.
"It's normal for criticism to arise; we're in a high-stakes situation where only winning matters, regardless of the reasons," he said.
"The team has always strived to move forward. There's still room for improvement, and when everyone adapts, we'll be better.
"We need the points for our Champions League spot, and that creates the commitment we must have. The opponent will be playing defensively, pushing forward with their fast wing-backs, and we'll have to take the game to where we can hurt them, knowing our need for points.
"In principle [they need to score more goals], the most important thing is to win; after that, everything that can happen from there on is obviously better. But the important thing is to win."
On Saturday, Griezmann came off the bench to score in Atletico's 3-0 win over Sevilla, netting his 200th LaLiga goal in the process.
This season, the Frenchman has started just six of the 14 matches he has played, though two of those have come in the Champions League.
"The other day, he came on very well, as always and as he should, and as the rest of his team-mates did," Simeone said of Griezmann.
"His place, beyond the legend he will become, is in the present, and he has to help us on or off the field, just like Koke, [Jan] Oblak and [Jose Maria] Gimenez do."
