Simeone: Atleti still a threat without Falcao

Diego Simeone is confident Atletico Madrid have what it takes to cope with the absence of star striker Radamel Falcao.

The Colombia international picked up a hamstring injury at the weekend and will miss Thursday’s Copa del Rey quarter-final second leg against Real Betis.

Simeone is not too worried though, as he feels Atletico have more than enough alternatives for the prolific attacker.

“Falcao is a very important part of our team, but we also have Diego Costa, Adrian (Lopez) and Raul Garcia, who can all play in his position and can do it well,” Simeone told a press conference.

Atletico recorded a 2-0 win over Betis in the first leg, but Simeone has warned that the tie is not over yet.

“Betis have great supporters and they always get behind their team. It will be a tough game for us against a team that play good, explosive football. That’s what we are worried about.

“They are a tough team and we cannot let our focus drop for even a minute.”