Falcao aiming for win in derby

Posted Wednesday, November 28, 2012 by ESPN

Atletico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao disagreed with the opinion that his side would be content with a draw against Real Madrid in the upcoming local derby.

The two sides square off on Saturday at the Santiago Bernabeu with Los Colchoneros finding themsleves in the unusual position of being the side currently ahead in the table.

Atletico have dropped just four points all season while Real have already succumbed to three defeats, the latest one taking place over the weekend away at Real Betis.

Nevertheless, Real boast a league of international stars and are widely considered as one of the best teams in European football. Many a side would be content with picking up a point at the Bernabeu but the Colombian striker, however, is adamant that his side will be going to secure all three points on the night.

"Players always go out on the pitch with the intention to win. I will never settle for a draw in advance. I can be satisfied with a point depending on how the match goes, but we are always aiming for victory once we get out there," Falcao told Spanish daily AS.

"We're not thinking about whether a draw would be a good result. We always want to win and deal with the challenges we encounter. It's a certain desire to win and beat your rivals.

"I have played a lot of derbies and the atmosphere in these games is always special, but players are always focused on winning without thinking about the circumstances. We have to remain focused.

"We are very strong as a team and are looking forward to taking on our rivals. We all know the situation both clubs find themselves in, but that will not influence the derby. Winning is all that matters."

Falcao finally got back to scoring ways with a penalty against Sevilla in his side's 4-0 win over the weekend. He had earlier failed to find the back of the net in the previous four games but he will likely be a potent attacking threat upfront once more against Real.

Meanwhile, coach Diego Simeone tried to direct the focus on Wednesday's Copa del Rey clash against Real Jaen instead of being drawn into discussion on the Madrid derby.

The Argentinean stated that he would take the match as an opportunity to give the club's 'cantera', or youth academy, graduates a chance to shine and make themselves known.

“If you see the hopes of the kids, that’s better, because the cantera is the future for all, especially the way things are economically,” Simeone told reporters.

“There’ll be time to think about the derby after Wednesday night. The most important game is the next we have to play. We hope to finish the tie we started in Jaén.

"Every game has its importance. Tomorrow [Wednesday] we can draw conclusions from the moments of the footballers that play.

"We must seize those moments and it’s a manager’s problem deciding who plays.”

Atleti currently boast an eight-point lead over their local rivals ahead of the crunch fixture on Saturday night.