Football
Dermot Corrigan, Madrid correspondent 9y

Fernando Torres not to blame for struggles vs. Celta Vigo, says Simeone

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone took responsibility for picking the wrong starting lineup after his side were upset 2-0 at Celta Vigo on Sunday night.

A week after humbling Real Madrid 4-0 at home in the derbi, Atletico were themselves well beaten as Celta deservedly triumphed thanks to a Nolito penalty and Fabian Orellana's goal, for a result which saw last season's La Liga champions slip seven points behind leaders Madrid, with in-form Barcelona in second just a point off the top.

For the first time in his three years at the club, Simeone was missing both his midfield playmakers Arda Turan (suspended) and Koke (injured). The Colchoneros coach chose to start three attackers in Fernando Torres, Mario Mandzukic and Antoine Griezmann, and told his postgame news conference it had been a mistake.

"In the first half I chose a bad formation and lost 45 minutes with that bad choice," Simeone said. "It was not Fernando's fault that he was picked to play, the team was badly set-up. We started the second half well, but then came the episode of the penalty and then the second goal. But must say Celta played well, a good game, and deserved to win."

Simeone did not refer directly to referee Juan Martinez Munuera missing a clear hand-ball in the build-up to Celta's opening goal, or not awarding what seemed a penalty to his side when Guilherme Siqueira was taken out inside the area, but did mention some "episodes" which had not helped his side.

"The team responded very well in the second half," he said. "But then there were episodes which brought Celta closer to the triumph."

Simeone said that Atletico had corrected their first-half mistakes, with midfielder Cani having replaced Torres at the break, but the penalty which made it 1-0 had hurt his team a lot.

"We needed more balance, better connection between the lines," he said. "We lost the ball very easily, and could not keep possession at all. The idea was to have more pace with Fernando and Griezmann, but it hardly ever worked. That is why Cani came in, to try and balance the team better. It worked okay, until the penalty we were better than the first half, for sure."

Third placed Atletico are now just three points ahead of Valencia with Sevilla a further two points back in what could turn into a tight fight for Champions League qualification next season. Simeone said his only preoccupation at the moment was preparing for next Saturday's home game against 16th-placed Almeria.

"We will keep working, and begin to prepare for Saturday's game," he said.

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