Simeone wants strong Atletico finish after LaLiga title dreams dashed

Atletico Madrid are focused on ending the season on a high despite the title being out of their reach, coach Diego Simeone said on Friday, a month before the LaLiga side head to the United States to participate in the Club World Cup.

Atletico, who host 11th-placed Real Sociedad on Saturday, sit third in the standings on 67 points, 12 points off leaders Barcelona and eight behind second-placed Real Madrid with four games left to play.

Atletico's head-to-head record against their rivals ensures their title dream is over, but Simeone does not want his players' focus drifting to the Club World Cup, which kicks off on June 14.

"It's not so easy (to think about the Club World Cup), because the focus is not the same. We have to finish these last four games the best way possible," Simeone told a press conference.

"We have the responsibility, especially playing in front of our fans, so let's hope that they will demand more from us tomorrow because obviously that demand will make us enter the game better and hopefully it will lead us to give our all."

Atletico's form fell away in the second half of the season after suffering a single defeat during their opening 19 matches.

"I think we competed very well in LaLiga until February or March," Simeone said.

"The game that probably hurt us the most was (a 2-1 loss) at Getafe. After that came the elimination from the Champions League, then (a defeat against) Barcelona in LaLiga.

"(Until) that moment the feeling was that the team was doing very well. I hope we can finish these four games in the best way to obviously, at least in the league, compete from the place we need to be."

Asked whether the team's decline in the final stretch of the season had left a bad taste in the mouth, with Atletico winning three of their last eight league games, Simeone disagreed.

"I see that the team is trying to improve, giving their all so that things go as well as possible and, well, we're focusing on a good performance tomorrow," the Argentinian coach said.