Diego Simeone Lauds Antoine Griezmann as Atletico Madrid Target Critical Win Against Bilbao

Atletico Madrid’s head coach, Diego Simeone, has lauded Antoine Griezmann for his exceptional performances this season, underscoring the French forward’s vital role for the team as the LaLiga title race intensifies.

Griezmann has impressively scored eight goals and provided five assists in LaLiga this season, just ahead of their pivotal home match against Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.

“He’s a game-changer and immensely significant to the team. Whenever he contributes, he gives the squad an added lift. We hope he maintains this momentum. We rely on him, and his concentration must be on tomorrow’s game,” Simeone remarked to the media on Friday.

As the title challenge heats up, Atletico currently sits in third place, just one point behind the leaders, Barcelona and Real Madrid, with Bilbao in fourth, trailing by five points. However, Simeone played down the importance of the upcoming clash.

“There are still many matches to play. What seems vital often isn’t, although they are important, without a doubt. We need our supporters more than ever,” he added.

Simeone also mentioned that, despite a busy schedule and the upcoming match being their 40th of the season, the team is managing the pressure effectively and maintaining its composure.

“We are striving to recover as best as we can, with divided training for those who have logged the most minutes compared to those who have played less. Our focus remains on Athletic, our next opponents. We are not losing sight,” he emphasised.

“Historically, we’ve always performed exceptionally well in this aspect. Over the previous 14 years, if there was one area that shone as our strength, it was undoubtedly our physical conditioning.”