Simeone admits title dream fading after Atletico’s defeat to Las Palmas

LAS PALMAS DE GRAN CANARIA, Spain: Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone conceded his team’s LaLiga title hopes are all but over following a disappointing 1-0 defeat to relegation-threatened Las Palmas on Saturday.

The loss leaves Atletico third in the table with 63 points, trailing leaders Barcelona by 10 and second-placed Real Madrid by three, with just six matches remaining. A late goal from the hosts sealed a frustrating evening for Simeone’s men, who now face an uphill battle even for a second-place finish.

“If we had any chance of winning the league, we had to get perfect numbers. Today we didn’t,” Simeone said post-match. “The first half was fairly solid but we couldn’t take the lead. The second half started flat, and we weren’t able to create what we had imagined.”

While the Argentine dismissed suggestions of a lack of effort, he was critical of the team’s overall display. “It wasn’t a matter of attitude, we just played badly,” he admitted. “There was no fluidity, no chance to link up play. We set the game up a certain way and made changes to find solutions, but it didn’t work.”

With their last realistic chance at silverware slipping away, Simeone vowed to finish the season with pride and focus on strengthening the team’s defense in the remaining matches.