Atleti can turn around fortunes against Lokomotiv Moscow- Simeone

Diego Simeone insists his Atletico Madrid side are capable of turning around their torrid form to qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League.

Atleti face Lokomotiv Moscow at the Wanda Metropolitano on Wednesday knowing all three points will be enough to see them progress from Group D alongside Juventus, who have already booked their spot in the knockout stages.

Simeone's side go into the match on the back of a run of just one win in their last eight games across all competitions, but the Argentinian has full faith in his players' ability to reverse their fortunes.

"I believe in my team," he told a media conference. "I believe in the players and in these difficult moments they are continuing behind the same philosophy. It makes me optimistic and positive.

"The results show our reality and we have the challenge of reversing it. I believe in the team from what I see because they work hard. They are showing me what I want to see, and the results will come accordingly. We are not preparing differently. Playing for Atletico is always important. We need to be calm and that will give us personality. It is an opportunity to be together."

 

December 10, 2019

Goalkeeper Jan Oblak says he is not concerned by Atleti's poor form, insisting they are on the right track towards positive results.

"We feel good, we are doing the same things and we want to win," he said. "In the last matches we have improved but we have not won. We did our best to win. 

"We have had some bad luck but that is going to change, and we will all be happier. We win and lose together; no need to worry about that. We had some bad luck and things did not go as we wanted. We will enter the game as we should and with the maximum intensity and desire to win."