Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has defended his defensive approach in their last few games with the La Liga title race hotting up. Atleti started the season with an attacking verve – a far cry from their habitual defensive displays of recent seasons – that has left them top of the La Liga standings, six points clear of second-placed Barcelona, who play Huesca on Monday and eight ahead of Real Madrid. 
However, in the past couple of games Los Rojiblancos look to have reverted more to type by sitting back and soaking up pressure. While it worked in their 2-1 victory against Athletic Bilbao in midweek, they conceded a late equaliser against Real Madrid in last weekend’s derby and shipped an away goal against Chelsea in their Champions League last 16 first leg. Simeone, however, says it is only natural that with the margins so fine that players adopt a more defensive attitude. “I was a player, and I know that you get more anxious when there’s not much in a game that you want to win,” he said ahead of today’s league trip to Getafe.
“I had a coach that said if you’re one up after 90 minutes and haven’t scored the second, don’t go looking for it in the 93rd – win the game and finish well. The inertia of the game means you take a step back when the scoreline is tight. If you concede then the headlines say it’s because you sat back. If you win, they say it was great teamwork.”
Simeone has a fully fit squad to choose from for the first time this season after defender Jose Maria Gimenez returned to training from an adductor problem.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said that he is unsure as to where captain Sergio Ramos’s future lies after recent speculation about the defender’s next move. Ramos reiterated in multiple interviews on Thursday that he wanted to stay at the club once his contract expires this summer, after media reports in Spain had linked him with a move away. However, Zidane said he is none the wiser as to what the future holds for the player who has been a mainstay in the Real defence since his transfer from Sevilla in 2005, winning five La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns.
“I want to be honest and I have to say I don’t know what’s going to happen with him,” Zidane said ahead of this weekend’s meeting with Elche. “We want him to stay here. He’s always going to be an important player and I want him to remain here, that’s what I’ll say as a coach.”
Ramos, who has been out since January after undergoing knee surgery, returned to full training yesterday and alongside Eden Hazard is back in contention for today’s game. Alvaro Odriozola, Dani Carvajal and Mariano Diaz all remain absent through injury.
The Frenchman, however, refused to be drawn on rumours linking Cristiano Ronaldo with a return to the Bernabeu after his exit with Juventus in the last 16 of the Champions League this week to Porto. “Everyone knows what Cristiano is to Madrid, what he’s achieved here, what we think about him and everything he did here was magnificent,” Zidane said. 
“But right now he’s a Juventus player and I can’t say more than that. A lot of things have been said but we need to be respectful.”
Fixtures (all times GMT)
Today: Alaves v Cadiz (1300), Real Madrid v Elche (1515), Osasuna v Real Valladolid (1730), Getafe v Atletico Madrid (2000) 
Tomorrow: Celta Vigo v Athletic Bilbao (1300), Granada v Real Sociedad (1515), Eibar v Villarreal (1730), Sevilla v Real Betis (2000) 
Monday: Barcelona v Huesca (2000)