Rodrigo de Paul’s form has been key to Atletico Madrid’s bid for La Liga glory, head coach Diego Simeone said on the eve of Saturday’s clash with Villarreal.
De Paul, a World Cup and Copa America winner with Argentina, won plaudits for his contributions at both ends of the pitch during a spell in which Atletico won 16 of 17 matches in all competitions.
“He is an established footballer, a world champion,” Simeone told reporters on Friday.
“In recent good times, he has been performing at his best for Atlético, and it is natural for people to appreciate what he is giving.
“He’s very important to us, with a lot of personality, and we hope he continues like that. We will demand it from him because we need it.”
Simeone also praised his son, Atletico forward Giuliano, who received a standing ovation when he was substituted in Tuesday’s 2-1 Champions League win over Bayer Leverkusen.
“I just see him as a footballer,” Simeone said. “I value his work. He is exactly what we imagined, and he is doing what we expect from him.
“We will ask him to improve, he needs to score goals, but he has the most important qualities: enthusiasm, courage, humility, generosity. If he stays on this path, he will continue to grow.”
Atleti vs Villarreal squad list pic.twitter.com/GvzcnAMATJ
— Atletico de Madrid (@atletienglish) January 24, 2025
Atletico are second in La Liga with 44 points from 20 games and a win against fifth-placed Villarreal would see them overhaul rivals Real Madrid, who play later on Saturday.
Asked if it was good for Atletico to play ahead of their title rivals, Simeone said: “We are still far from the end of the league, we only care about our game and focus on what our opponents present to us.
“Villarreal has a well-defined game with defensive work and many players to counter-attack with the four forwards very well. (Alex) Baena, (Yeremy) Pino, Gerard Moreno or whoever plays up front.
“They played very well against Mallorca and we are not thinking about anything else but looking for players who can help us.”
