Simeone warns Atletico to stay humble after extending winning run
Atletico Madrid are now unbeaten in their last 14 games across all competitions, but manager Diego Simeone said his squad must stay focused.
Diego Simeone urged his Atletico Madrid players to stay grounded in the midst of their 14-game winning run that moved them to the LaLiga summit on Sunday.
Atletico leapfrogged rivals Real Madrid in the standings following their 1-0 victory over Osasuna, with Julian Alvarez's second-half goal enough to seal the triumph.
Alvarez's strike came after a short corner routine, which saw Antoine Griezmann find Clement Lenglet at the back post, who then turned the ball into the Argentine's path.
The former Manchester City striker has now scored 13 goals in 28 outings across all competitions, but Simeone said his latest effort was something Atletico had worked on.
"We had been talking with the guys about giving set-pieces the importance it deserves. It gives us the chance to win games when its not easy," Simeone told reporters.
"The players have done a great job in the past few months, there's a collective effort... They know how to suffer and understand that there will be difficulties in every step."
Atletico's club-record streak began with a 2-0 win over sixth-tier Unio Esportiva Vic in the Copa del Rey at the end of October.
They also beat fellow title challengers Barcelona 2-1 last month along with taking a point from Carlo Ancelotti's side in the Madrid derby back in September.
Though confidence is high among the players, Simeone insisted that his squad must stay humble to ensure that their winning momentum continues moving forward.
"(We need) to be aware of where we are, of what the team is playing for, of what we must go through to achieve these objectives," Simeone added.
"We are not going anywhere without humility," Simeone added.
Asked if his side were capable of continuing their rich vein of form and winning a third LaLiga title under him, Simeone played down expectations.
"That's very difficult to answer. I'd have to be a magician or visionary. We need to stay on track, saying anything else would be disrespectful," Simeone said.
"To repeat what we've done in the first half of the season, we’ll have to keep working one match at a time."