Fernando Torres urges Atlético Madrileño to manage late-game moments better

“We have to give more: matches are slipping away because of situations we can solve,” Fernando Torres said. His appeal comes with Atlético Madrileño having gone seven matchdays without a win. What particularly frustrates the coach is that mistakes by his side late in games have repeatedly stopped them from protecting a result.

Madrileño had taken the lead early in the second half, when Marc Domènech scored after a corner. Fernando Torres also lamented another draw conceded in the closing moments. “It is difficult to accept another draw in the last minute, on the last play, because of a situation we have to deal with much earlier,” he said.

The coach also wanted to draw attention to the positive aspects of the performance. He described his team’s second half as very strong, while acknowledging that their opponents gradually pushed them deeper than they wanted to be. Madrileño had chances to finish the match. “You pay for it,” Torres summed up, linking those missed opportunities to the difficulty of holding on to the result.

The opening stages had been dominated by the alfarero team, but Atlético Madrileño contained its attacks until the closing moments. That sequence reinforces Torres’s assessment: his side is not necessarily giving way to an opponent’s superiority, but is dropping points in phases it could manage better. He also referred to celebrations by Zaragoza, Jaén and Alcorcón, while his own group was left feeling it had failed to close out certain periods of a match.

“We have to keep going; there is no other way. Everyone has to give more, players and staff alike,” the coach insisted. He wants the team to cut down on mistakes and stay united, while continuing to trust the work being done and the players. Torres believes the group is showing an identity again, an important reference point both when winning and when results are difficult.

He nevertheless acknowledged that adjusting to change is affecting results: the squad is new, and many players need time, during which points are lost. Torres says the team must keep working and limit those errors. He is also counting on the return of important players, confidence and hard work to recover the effectiveness shown at the start and begin collecting wins again. His message connects the current run to specific corrections: manage decisive moments better and take the chances to put a match beyond reach.