Simeone staying calm as Atleti looks for top spot
Atletico Madrid could go top of LaLiga with a win over Levante, but Diego Simeone insists he is not getting ahead of himself, taking things one game at a time and refusing to focus on the teams around his side.
Atletico sits second in LaLiga after 10 matches, but with Barcelona playing later, it could at least temporarily move to the summit with a win over Levante.
Simeone's side has won each of its past six league games and is unbeaten across eight matches in all competitions with seven wins among those results, meaning it heads into the Levante clash in strong form.
"I don't want to focus on other teams. We'll go through good, bad and average spells because that's life," Simeone said.
"Different things happen in a title race; when you manage to recover quickly from difficult moments, that's when you end up competing to win."
Levante is 14th in LaLiga with 10 points and has won just one of its past seven league matches.
While it has struggled to build momentum, Simeone was also wary to say his team was in its full groove ahead of the clash, claiming it still has work to do before it is at top level.
"Reaching 100 per cent is very complex, a very high standard," he said.
"To get there, we still have a way to go; we need to see how we manage our efforts, the changes, and get the most out of the players.
"We need to play a strong match against an opponent that performs very well at home, with excellent teamwork, and we have to take the game to where we can hurt them."
