Simeone on Álvarez’s drought: Team effort matters, not just goals | OneFootball

Far from getting carried away by the result, Diego Simeone chose to take things down a notch after the 5-0 thrashing of Betis in the Copa del Rey and focused on maintaining the collective path, even when asked about the goal drought Julián Álvarez is experiencing, who missed the match due to a stomach upset. The Atlético de Madrid coach warned that the opponent comes in wounded and once again called for the support of the fans for the upcoming home challenges.

“I don’t think this is a turning point,” the coach clarified at a press conference after the morning training session. He highlighted the team’s effectiveness but called for continuity in their approach, without falling into euphoria: “It was a well-played match and we have to keep going in the same direction.”

In that context, he once again backed the striker from Calchín, who has gone ten matches without scoring, eight of them in 2026. Simeone avoided making the analysis about individuals and emphasized that the team’s overall performance is the foundation of the results, regardless of individual streaks.

The rout was achieved without goals from the Cordoban or from Alexander Sørloth, the usual attacking duo. For the coach, this is no small detail: “We don’t depend on individual names, but on collective play, set pieces, and what the team creates together,” he explained, and praised the response from the deeper lines.

Another highlight was the debut of Ademola Lookman, who scored a goal and was involved in two others. Simeone valued his offensive versatility and anticipated a gradual adaptation process to maximize his strengths within the system.

He also confirmed the absence of Pablo Barrios and mentioned Obed Vargas, Rodrigo Morenzo, Marcos Llorente, and Javi Serrano as alternatives to fill that spot in midfield.

Finally, he compared the 0-0 draw against Levante with the 5-0 win over Betis and explained that matches respond to different contexts depending on the opponent. Looking ahead to the next league clash, he insisted on focusing only on the immediate challenge and once again called for support from the stands: “We have to start from scratch and we need our people.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.