Midfielder Tiago is eager to ensure Atletico Madrid are
not brought back down to earth with a bump at Getafe on Sunday.
Diego Simeone's men, who hold a slender one-point
advantage at the summit of La Liga, are riding the crest of a wave after
defeating Barcelona - their nearest domestic rivals - in midweek to reach the
semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League.
Atletico can now look forward to a mouth-watering tie
against Chelsea, managed by former Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho, in the last
four of Europe's premier club competition.
Yet Tiago, who played for Chelsea under Mourinho during
the 2004-05 season, insists there is no danger of he and his team-mates
becoming sidetracked as they edge ever closer to a sensational double.
Atleti will be clear favourites this weekend against a
Getafe side in the relegation zone and boasting just one win in 17 matches in
2014, particularly as November's reverse fixture at Vicente Calderon ended in a
7-0 victory for the Liga leaders.
However, Getafe have avoided defeat on the last five
occasions they have welcomed their city rivals to Coliseum Alfonso Perez.
"We have a very difficult game on Sunday,"
warned Tiago on Friday.
"We are in a moment that the team cannot look at the
other side. We look forward, we want to recover well (following Tuesday's
victory over Barca) and be ready and prepared to arrive at Getafe and not think
of anything more than the victory."
Atleti's second-leg triumph over Barca, sealed by Koke's
early goal, was all the more impressive given that star striker Diego Costa was
absent due to a hamstring injury.
Playmaker Arda Turan also missed out with a groin problem
and it remains to be seen whether either player will be fit to return on Sunday
as Atleti seek to win a seventh league game in succession.
Jorge Sammir and Sergio Escudero, who are each recovering
from injuries, trained separately from Getafe's squad earlier this week, while
Jaime Gavilan (hamstring) is likely to miss out.
And Getafe coach Cosmin Contra is in no doubt as to the
size of the task facing his 18th-placed team.
"We're playing against the best team in Spain right
now," said the Romanian.
"They're in good form, they will be euphoric and
with huge confidence."
After belatedly claiming their first win of the year with
a shock 3-1 victory at Valencia on March 30, Getafe suffered a painful 1-0
defeat against Elche last time out, courtesy of Richmond Boakye's late strike.
"The players are still a bit down with their morale,
because we lost our last game against Elche in the last play of the game,"
added Contra.
"There's no time to cry about it, though, and now we
have give everything we’ve got and have faith we can do this (avoid
relegation).
"We have to give everything and be aggressive.
That's the idea I’m trying to convey to the players."
Culled from Soccerway
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