Filipe Luis eyes Madrid derby tonic

Atletico Madrid defender Filipe Luis has set his sights on beating city rivals Real after a suffering a blip in their Liga title challenge.

Diego Simeone’s charges missed the opportunity to go into next week’s crucial derby level on points with Real after falling to a 3-0 defeat at Osasuna.

The damage was done in the first half as Alvaro Cejudo, Emiliano Armenteros and Roberto Torres all scored before the break.

That setback left Atleti third in the table, level with reigning champions Barcelona and three adrift of Carlo Ancelotti’s Real side.

Filipe Luis understands the difficulty his side will face in overcoming in-form Real next weekend, but is keen to put the Osasuna loss behind him as soon as possible.

“We have a long week to train and prepare well for the match against Real Madrid,” he told the club’s official website. “The way to keep up is to continue working as usual.

“Against Real Madrid it will be a good chance to regain the fight for first place in the standings. We now have the opportunity to catch them, we are only three points away.

“They are a giant team and it will be difficult. We know it is very difficult. At home we are very strong, and we managed to beat them and we have to continue this work to try to win.”

The fixture at Estadio El Sadar saw Filipe Luis return from a three-week injury lay-off with a thigh strain, and he was delighted to be back on the field despite the disappointing result.

The Brazilian added: “Well, I’m happy to return to the team, although saddened by the outcome. (I am) content with my body because I endured 90 minutes. I have to improve and catch up.”

Atleti took maximum points at the Santiago Bernabeu in September, but Real gained a measure of revenge in winning the Copa del Rey semi-final between the two 5-0 on aggregate.