Title-chasing Simeone wary of ´brave´ Celta Vigo

Atletico Madrid have the best defence in Europe’s top five leagues, but Diego Simeone is wary of the threat Celta Vigo will pose on Saturday.

Atletico are second in LaLiga, a point behind leaders Real Madrid after 23 games.

Simeone’s side have conceded just 15 goals and kept 11 clean sheets in the league.

Only four teams across Europe’s top five leagues have a lower expected goals against (xGA) figure than Atleti’s 20.31.

Although Celta Vigo are 12th in LaLiga with a negative goal difference, they have netted 34 goals, just four fewer than Atletico this term.

“I don’t look at those statistics because they are just numbers. The only thing that counts is how you finish,” Simeone told reporters.

“Along the way, we go game by game, which is what gives you the possibility, in the end, of reaching our goals.”

Celta is a brave team, which offers many attacking variations.

— Simeone pic.twitter.com/gaFGSTborY

— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) February 14, 2025

Celta snapped a five-match winless run in all competitions when they beat Real Betis 3-2 last weekend, coming from 2-0 down to triumph thanks to an 87th-minute Williot Swedberg goal.

“With Celta Vigo, there is no clearer point than to focus on what comes next. They are a team that plays very well offensively,” Simeone said.

“They have achieved success since the arrival of the coach and with many youngsters interpreting his playing philosophy very well. It is a brave team that plays with many players in the opposition’s half.

“The other day they turned around a game that they were losing 2-0. That surely gives you enthusiasm, so I imagine it will be a game that we will have to take to them, where we believe that we can hurt them.”