LA LIGA:Costa shin typifies Atletico will to win

14 Apr 2014 09:43:22
The deep gash to Diego
Costa's shin suffered in
Atletico Madrid's 2-0 La Liga
win at Getafe on Sunday was
more evidence that the
leaders are putting everything on the line,
including their own bodies, in pursuit of the
title.
Costa had a penalty saved at Getafe's
Coliseum stadium in the Madrid suburbs
shortly before Adrian sent a low cross
trundling towards the far post in the 84th
minute.
It looked like the Brazil-born forward would
not reach the ball before it rolled out of play,
but he flung himself full stretch to divert it
over the line, colliding heavily with a post
and opening a deep cut just below his left
knee.
With Costa carried off on a stretcher in
apparent agony, there were fears the forward
could miss significant playing time but
Atletico said he sustained nothing more
serious than a cut.
Relieved coach Diego Simeone told a news
conference the player was "happy and fine".
Costa's goal made it 2-0 and killed off any
hopes Getafe, who are battling to avoid
relegation, might have had of snatching a
point.
Atletico's advantage at the top is now three
points with five games left, with Real Madrid
in second and champions Barcelona, who
crashed to a shock defeat at Granada on
Saturday, a point further back in third.
Former Argentina captain Simeone was a
committed, never-say-die midfielder during
stints for clubs including Atletico and Sevilla
in Spain and Inter Milan and Lazio in Italy
and he was in the Atletico team the last time
they won La Liga in 1996.
His fierce competitiveness and thirst for
victory appears to have rubbed off on his
players, who have brought Atletico to the
brink of what would be a remarkable
domestic league triumph against vastly
wealthier rivals.
They are also through to the last four of the
Champions League for the first time in 40
years having dispatched former winners
Barca and AC Milan on the way.
"We needed effort and ambition on the part of
the footballers to get a very important result,"
Simeone told a news conference after the
Getafe game.
"This puts us where we want to be with five
matches left," added the 43-year-old.
"The situation will depend on ambition,
enthusiasm, effort, hard work and above all
the humility of the team."
GOOD THINGS
Costa's goals have helped drive Atletico's
success this term. He has 26 in La Liga, two
behind top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo of Real.
The gash to his shin should not prevent him
from playing in Friday's La Liga match at
home to Elche.
Their final four games are away at Valencia
and Levante, and at home to Malaga before a
trip to Barca on the last day of the campaign.
If they win their next four matches they will
already be champions when they run out at
the Nou Camp.
"With our weapons, with sacrifice, always
working together and staying very united we
are achieving good things," midfielder Mario
Suarez told reporters.
"This journey is not over yet, there is a long
way to go and we hope it ends well."
© Reuters