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Iniesta: My sole desire is for Messi to stay at Barcelona
Feb 16, 2015 11:40:28
The Spain star is hopeful the four-time Ballon d'Or winner will not leave the club and has admitted events off the pitch have affected the Catalans
Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta says it is imperative Lionel Messi stays at Camp Nou if the club are continue to challenge for domestic and European honours.
The Argentina star - who marked his 300th Liga appearance with a hat-trick in Sunday's 5-0 win over Levante - revealed in an interview at the Ballon d'Or ceremony in January that he was unsure where he would play his football next season.
A disagreement with coach Luis Enrique added further fuel to rumours the 27-year-old could leave Camp Nou, with Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City and Chelsea reportedly keeping a close eye on the 27-year-old's situation.
However, Iniesta remains hopeful that Messi will stay put and help Barcelona to more silverware in the future.
"I hope and wish that Leo can be with Barca for a long time, because he has been, is and will be fundamental to us competing for honours. That's my sole desire," Iniesta told the official Fifa website.
While their latest win extended Barca's winning streak to 11 matches in all competitions, the last few months have been somewhat tumultuous for the Catalan giants.
With a court case ongoing with regards to alleged tax fraud surrounding the signing of Neymar and the club subject to a transfer ban until 2016 for broken rules in relation to the signing of youth players, Iniesta acknowledged it has been difficult to stay focused.
"Look, there's no denying that when there's so much talk on the outside and when it’s not about football or your play, it can affect things.
"You try, or at least should try, to ignore all of that because a lot of it isn't true. The sheer number of reports can annoy you. That said, we know we're at a club where a lot is asked of you, where everything is magnified tenfold.
"There are so many opinions and a lot of things can come from that. When things aren't going exactly to plan, then we have to deal with those kind of situations.
"The only way we can change that and make the public more settled is by playing well and winning.
"That way they forget a bit about all the stuff on the outside and focus instead on what their players are doing on the pitch."
Barcelona currently sit second in La Liga, trailing leaders Real Madrid by one point.
The Atletico boss says he got his first-half tactics entirely wrong as his side suffered a 2-0 defeat at Balaidos on Sunday
Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone insists he is to blame for his side's defeat to Celta Vigo on Sunday, and not Fernando Torres.
The striker was hauled off at half-time at Balaidos after an ineffectual display, before second-half goals from Nolito and Fabian Orellana condemned Atleti to a potentially costly defeat in the title race.
Simeone, however, says his side's insipid display was entirely of his own making due to mistakes he made in his selection and tactics.
"In the first half, I chose a bad formation. I lost 45 minutes. I chose badly," he told a press conference.
"It's not Fernando's fault that he had to go off, but we weren't able to balance the team.
"We started the second half better. Then there was the episode of the penalty and the second goal. Celta played very well.
"We carry on competing and now we think of next Saturday."
Simeone also refused to accept that the defeat proved an attacking line-up of Torres, Mario Mandzukic and Antoine Griezmann cannot work going forward.
"We'll see. I don't know. It would be rash to say much today, beyond the fact that it simply didn't work," he added.
"We lost the ball very fast. We looked for speed between Torres and Griezmann but it didn't happen."
A 2-0 defeat at Celta Vigo leaves the champions seven points behind Real Madrid but the defender is refusing to throw in the towel
Atletico Madrid defender Diego Godin insists his side have not thrown away the Liga title following their defeat against Celta Vigo.
Second-half goals from Nolito and Fabian Orellana condemned the champions to a 2-0 defeat at Balaidos which leaves them six points behind second-placed Barcelona, and seven adrift of leaders Real Madrid.
Godin feels his side were made to suffer due to the absences of Koke and Arda Turan in midfield but refused to accept defeat in their quest to defend their crown.
"We were missing important people in midfield, but we lost against a great opponent," he told reporters.
"It hurts to lose. Today, we're sad. They played very well. Now we have to move forward.
"We saw one Atletico in the first half and another in the second. We didn't turn up at all in the first, but in the second we improved right up to their goal.
"We've not thrown anything away. We will fight to the end for the league and to ensure our goal of the Champions League."
Celta's penalty came in contentious fashion in the second half, with the referee failing to spot a handball during the build-up, but Godin refused to blame the officials.
"I think the referee saw the handball but didn't think that would happen afterwards," he said. "It's football.
"We won't say we lost because of a handball and missing midfielders. It's just that Celta played a good match and Atletico didn't, especially in the first half."
Barcelona set for RFEF investigation after a section of their support make derogatory chant regarding Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Spanish football federation (RFEF) is set to investigate Barcelona for a derogatory chant about Cristiano Ronaldo made by a small section of the Camp Nou crowd during their 5-0 win over Levante.
Approximately 200 home fans located in the 'ultras' section of Barca's stadium sang 'es un borracho, Cristiano es un barracho!' midway through the second half of Sunday's La Liga fixture, according to La Liga's governing body LFP.
The term 'barracho' translates to 'drunk' in English, and it is thought Barca's supporters were mocking Real Madrid star Ronaldo for holding his 30th birthday party just hours after his team's 4-0 derby defeat to city rivals Atletico Madrid on February 7.
The LFP has deemed this to be in contravention of the RFEF's Disciplinary Code, which outlaws any chant that incites "violence, racism, xenophobia and intolerance".
Therefore, the league has announced its intention to pass on a written denouncement of the chant to the federation's Anti-violence Commission on Thursday.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the LFP cited the Barca fan group 'Almogavers' as particular offenders for the "repetitive, choral and coordinated form" of the chant, but also stressed that the song was not taken on by the rest of the crowd, whose "behaviour was completely correct during the whole game".
The Catalan club have denied upsetting their south-west Asian sponsors with their new television contract and revealed that Wifi will be installed at Camp Nou as part of the deal
Barcelona's economic vice-president Javier Faus claims the club's relationship with Qatar has not been affected by the decision to sign a new television deal with Telefonica instead of renewing their current agreement with Mediapro.
Faus, speaking as Barca unveiled their new deal with the telecommunications company on Wednesday, denied reports that a member of the Qatari royal family had called the club to try and veto the Telefonica agreement and claimed the south-west Asian state remains "a friend of Barca".
"It's not true that the royal family called," Faus told reporters. "Qatar simply showed interest in how the television agreement would work out. Qatar has great links to many industries throughout the world, with Mediapro too.
"Qatar is a friend of Barca - and a friend of Mediapro as well."
Faus revealed that the new deal will bring around €40 million into the club coffers over the next three seasons, with an option to renew the agreement for a further two years.
"It's €13.3m yearly, €40m split over three years," he said. "The agreement has an option to be extended to make it five years in total."
The 50 year-old also revealed that Telefonica would help the club install Wifi for fans at Camp Nou, with "600 or 700 hotspots" giving Internet access to supporters during games.
"There is an agreement to develop Wifi at the stadium," he said. "It's a step forward. I believe there will be 600 to 700 hotspots and there should be Wifi at Camp Nou within six to nine months."
Telefonica are looking to build their business in South America and Faus claims Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez were fundamental in the new deal.
"It's obvious that the three forwards, the best in the world, were key to this agreement with Telefonica," he said.
Finally, Faus vowed the club would work with the Spain's Professional Football League (LFP) to crack down on abusive chants during games after a section of Barca fans were reported for singing derogatory songs against Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo in Sunday's 5-0 win over Levante.
"We will collaborate in everything," he said. "We will make our services available to the LFP. I don't know exactly what measures will be taken, but we will all do our bit with anti-violence measures."
The former Barca attacker has despaired at the punishment, saying any parent would be happy to see their child educated at La Masia
Carles Rexach has described Barcelona's transfer ban as "the biggest nonsense in years" and feels the club have not done anything wrong.
The Catalans were banned from signing new players for two transfer windows after they were found guilty of breaching Fifa's rules on the transfer of players aged under 18.
Nevertheless, Rexach, who recently returned to Barcelona as part of the club's new technical committee, struggles to understand the reasoning behind the decision of football's world governing body.
"If you analyse it coldly and without going into the legal details, it’s the biggest nonsense that I’ve seen in years," Rexach was quoted as saying by EFE.
"People who know La Masía know how well the kids are looked after, how much they are made to study and any father would be delighted for his son to be there.
"They’ve come out with this new rule and we’re in a tough moment, but some things I don’t understand."
Barcelona served the first part of their ban in January and will not be allowed to sign any new players ahead of the 2015-16 campaign either, with the January 2016 transfer window as their first opportunity to bring in fresh blood from outside their own ranks.
Allegations have been made against one current and one former Real Betis player regarding match-fixing, with the club denying any knowledge.
Real Betis have vehemently denied any knowledge of taking part in the reported fixing of a match during the 2013-14 La Liga season.
Various Spanish media outlets have claimed that the club's clash with Osasuna on the final day of last season is being investigated, with two players at the centre of the reports.
Jordi Figueras and Antonio Amaya, the latter of whom now plays for Rayo Vallecano, were named by radio station Cadena Sur as the players to have apparently met with an Osasuna chief to discuss the fixing of the game for €250,000, with the Pamplona-based outfit emerging 2-1 victors.
Both teams ultimately suffered relegation to La Segunda despite the outcome of the fixture and, after Amaya protested his innocence on Tuesday, Betis have now officially responded to the allegations.
The club's statement read: "Real Betis Balompie have not the participated in, will ever participate in or have the slightest knowledge of any act in which the minimum harms the integrity of the competition.
"Real Betis has contacted the LFP [La Liga], first of all to convey the full collaboration of the club from this moment if required and, secondly, to take an interest in as soon as possible the information in relation to such acts.
"We expect to hold a meeting for this purpose with the LFP, after which, and in view of the information that is collected, Real Betis will act accordingly in accordance with the internal rules of the club.
"Real Betis will collaborate with the LFP and any authority having to intervene in the elucidation of the facts under investigation, making these available to the staff, media and documentary supports.
"Real Betis strongly condemns any act that violates the integrity and fair play in sport, supporting the observance of behaviour and conduct in accordance with sporting values at all times.
"[The club] can only conclude a call for prudence and to respect to the presumption of innocence.
"Good work of the sporting and judicial institutions will allow to shed light on the facts under investigation, which would benefit always of Spanish football."
Gareth Bale does not feel his game has altered following criticism from sections of the Real Madrid support in recent months.
Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale claims he has not changed his game despite receiving criticism from some Real Madrid supporters after not passing to Cristiano Ronaldo in a Liga game last month.
The Welshman was jeered during Real's 3-0 win over Espanyol for shooting instead of passing to team-mate Ronaldo.
Having received backing from Ronaldo and coach Carlo Ancelotti, Bale does not feel he has altered following an impressive display against Schalke in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.
"I haven't really adapted my style of play," the Welshman told Sky Sports.
"In certain games, if a sight of goal has opened up I’ll take it. But [against Schalke] I think my team-mates were in better positions and I tried to play the ball around."
Ronaldo was on target in Real's 2-0 win at the Veltins-Arena on Wednesday, with Marcelo adding the second to give the defending European champions a commanding lead in the last-16 tie.
It forms part of a strong recovery from Real's 4-0 derby defeat to Atletico Madrid earlier this month, with Bale adding: "We're relieved and over the Atletico result.
"It wasn't a great result for us but we've bounced back with two wins on the trot and hopefully there will be another one at the weekend and in the return leg.
"We know it’s going to be difficult to retain the Champions League - it was difficult winning it last year. All we can do is take each game as it comes and hope we're the champions at the end.
"We're playing with confidence and we're enjoying our football and when we do that we play our best football. Hopefully we can keep that going."
Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos did not attend Cristiano Ronaldo's much-discussed birthday party as he predicted the public backlash.
Having seen Cristiano Ronaldo pilloried for holding a lavish birthday party in the aftermath of Real Madrid's derby defeat to Atletico Madrid, Toni Kroos has revealed he did not attend for fear of similar treatment.
Fans protested after a number of Real players were photographed attending the party, which followed their side's crushing 4-0 defeat at the Vicente Calderon, with Kroos suggesting he always knew what would happen.
"I was invited to Cristiano Ronaldo's party. I didn't go because I knew what could happen," Kroos told German television station ZDF.
"It wasn't the moment to have a party after losing 4-0 against Atletico. It's also true that many people had been invited and cancelling it wouldn't have been easy."
Since the defeat, Real have bounced back to beat Deportivo La Coruna in La Liga and Schalke in the UEFA Champions League, with Carlo Ancelotti's side on course for domestic and European successes this term.
"We should take a step back and look at the whole picture in the face of what is being said," Kroos added.
"We have only lost the one game, last week. I think that many teams would love to suffer a crisis like ours.
"Of course, we should be criticised if we play a bad game, as we did that day, without doubt."
La Liga Preview: Real travel to Elche, Barca host Malaga
19 February 2015
Real Madrid have a one-point lead on rivals Barcelona in La Liga, but will be backing up from European action this weekend.
Real Madrid will have to back up from mid-week European action when they travel to Elche on Sunday, while Barcelona host Malaga on Saturday in La Liga.
Barca can go provisionally top with a win at Camp Nou, and Real will be battling fatigue after playing in Germany on Wednesday - when they were 2-0 winners over Schalke in their last-16 first leg.
While trying to defend their European crown, Real are also trying to reclaim the domestic title - something midfielder Toni Kroos said was a priority.
"Every game in the Champions League is of the highest international level, against the best players in Europe. Battles like that help you gain experience and evolve," Kroos told UEFA.
"We all want [to win the Champions League], but first we must try to remain top of La Liga. Winning the league title must be a priority for us."
Real have won all three clashes against Elche, although their one trip to the Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero in 2013 saw them need a late Cristiano Ronaldo penalty to win.
Ronaldo (28 goals) leads the golden boot race in Spain from long-time nemesis Lionel Messi (26).
Messi has scored in nine of his past 12 games in the Spanish top flight - including four hat-tricks and two braces.
The Argentine superstar has not scored against Malaga in his past two league matches against the current seventh-placed outfit, with Barca failing to break through against them earlier this season in a 0-0 stalemate.
Later on Saturday, fourth-place Valencia are away at bottom side Cordoba, champions Atletico Madrid will look to bounce back from a last-start defeat when they host Almeria, while Deportivo La Coruna welcome Celta de Vigo.
On Sunday, Sevilla can continue their push for top-four honours when they travel to Real Sociedad, Athletic Bilbao will look to avenge their last-gasp loss to Rayo Vallecano from earlier this season, while Villarreal and Eibar - two sides who have hit poor form of late - go head to head.
Monday's lone fixture sees Granada on the road at Levante - both sides occupy relegation zone spots - while the weekend's action begins when Getafe host Espanyol.
Barcelona v Malaga: Iniesta reveals inspiration for winning run
19 February 2015
Last season's failures are Barcelona on this term, says Andres Iniesta ahead of the club's clash with Malaga in La Liga.
Andres Iniesta said an intense desire to avoid last season's disappointment is driving Barcelona's outstanding run ahead of their clash with Malaga.
Barca went without a major trophy for the first time since 2007-08 last term, a failure that led to the departure of coach Gerardo Martino.
New boss Luis Enrique appears to have restored the club's famous attacking verve, though, and an 11-match winning streak in all competitions has caught the eye.
Still one point behind Liga leaders and arch-rivals Real Madrid, Barcelona thrashed Levante 5-0 on Sunday.
Star man Lionel Messi netted a hat-trick in the win, which came in his 300th league appearance, while Neymar and Luis Suarez also netted.
And midfielder Iniesta - who missed the rout of Levante with flu but has returned to training - said last season is all the inspiration his side needs ahead of Saturday's meeting with the seventh-placed Malaga at Camp Nou.
"We're coming off a down year, and that has really served as a motivator for us," Iniesta told FIFA.com.
"We're going to try and make sure this season ends happily, with titles in our pockets, and with the fans having fun again.
"When you don't get what you want, it motivates you for the next year. We all want to win, but sometimes you can't do it and the season isn't so positive.
"We're in a position to win it all. It's all right there and we have a great team."
Barcelona have scored 42 goals in their winning streak, and Malaga's defence will have to be at its best to keep out the Catalan giants.
Back-to-back defeats to Espanyol and Levante will hardly fill Javi Gracia's team with confidence, though, and Malaga have not won any of their last 20 clashes against Barca - their last triumph a 5-1 victory in December 2003.
Atletico Madrid v Almeria: Hosts taking it one game at a time
19 February 2015
Atletico Madrid are firmly focused on the visit of struggling Almeria as they aim to bounce back from a surprise La Liga defeat.
Despite a potentially season-defining month ahead of them, Atletico Madrid are looking no further than Saturday's home clash with Almeria.
Atletico could easily be distracted by a fixture programme that sees them up against Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League, a tie that sandwiches matches against their two main rivals for third spot in La Liga - Sevilla and Valencia.
The reigning Liga champions occupy the third and final Champions League qualification place at present, but are now seven points adrift of leaders Real Madrid after losing 2-0 at Celta Vigo last Sunday.
And defender Jesus Gamez has insisted that Atleti are concerned only with getting back to winning ways against 16th-placed Almeria on Saturday - and not their clashes with Leverkusen, Sevilla and Valencia.
"We continue to fight at the top for the place where we want to be and we're not going to change that," Gamez told the club's official website.
"The game against Almeria is, right now, the most important one and when it's over, we'll still be thinking about the next one.
"That's why we can't downplay any of them [matches]. You can't think about the following one if you don't win the one you have first.
"We know they're going to be complicated matches - we have the first one on Saturday and then we will continue moving forward."
Almeria, meanwhile, have moved four points clear of the Liga relegation zone on the back of a three-match unbeaten run.
Wins over Getafe and Cordoba were followed by a 2-2 home draw against Real Sociedad last time out.
Almeria have never won at Atletico Madrid, coming closest in March 2011 when they drew 2-2. But they did beat Diego Simeone's side last term, with a Verza double giving them a 2-0 home win.
Miranda scored the only goal of Atleti's 1-0 success at Almeria earlier this season.
European champions Real Madrid received a boost on Thursday, with Croatia midfielder Luka Modric returning to light training duties.
Real Madrid have confirmed that Croatia midfielder Luka Modric has returned to training following a thigh injury.
Modric has not played for Real since November after picking up the problem on international duty against Italy.
The 29-year-old is closing in on a return, though, after joining in a training session with other players who did not start in the club's 2-0 UEFA Champions League win over Schalke on Wednesday.
Modric used the club's indoor facilities as the likes of James Rodriguez, Sergio Ramos, Sami Khedira and Fabio Coentrao also continued their rehabilitation from injuries.
The ex-Tottenham midfielder did not take part in a short match at the end of training, however, preferring to sit out.
Modric moved to Real from White Hart Lane in 2012 and quickly established himself as a first-team regular.
He has made 17 appearances for the club in all competitions this season, scoring one goal.
The PSG forward says his fellow Uruguayan needs time to settle at Camp Nou and adjust to the Blaugrana's playing style and insists they will soon see the best of him
Edinson Cavani says Luis Suarez is struggling at Barcelona because the Catalans are not used to playing with "a pure No.9".
Suarez joined the Spanish outfit from Liverpool last summer for €94 million but has so far failed to justify his lofty price tag, scoring just four times in 14 Liga appearances this season.
Cavani, though, insists that his Uruguay team-mate just needs time to settle at Camp Nou and get used to Barca's brand of free-flowing, passing football.
"Luis now has a different role at Barca to the one he had at Liverpool," the Paris Saint-Germain striker told Marca Plus.
"It can't be easy for him. It is difficult because he has a lot of movement and Barca are not used to playing with a pure No.9.
"With the talent that Luis has, though, I am sure he will give a lot to Barca.
"I think that if a team is used to playing in a certain way, you have to find the best way to adapt to the system."
Cavani also argued that the reason why Uruguay have often struggled to get the best out of their stellar forward line is that he and Suarez are too similar.
"We're both in-the-box strikers, which means it's difficult to have an understanding," the 28-year-old attacker added.
"It needs preparation, which we have little time for with the national team. I know that with a little more work we could understand each other better."
Getafe 2 Espanyol 1: Flores´ men pull clear of drop zone
20 February 2015
Pablo Sarabia and Alvaro Vazquez goals helped Getafe to a 2-1 La Liga win over Espanyol, moving them seven points clear of the drop zone.
Getafe collected a 2-1 victory over Espanyol to ease their La Liga relegation fears.
Pablo Sarabia and Alvaro Vazquez were on target for the hosts, who closed out the three points despite Anaitz Arbilla pulling one back for Espanyol during the closing stages.
Quique Sanchez Flores' team are now up to 11th place and seven points above the bottom three ahead of the weekend fixtures.
Epanyol goalkeeper Francisco Casilla was forced into an early save from Sarabia, and Pedro Leon missed the target from close quarters before Getafe made the 33rd-minute breakthrough.
Alexis' cross found Sarabia to coolly finish and, having been confronted with by a largely toothless Espanyol side in the opening 45 minutes, Flores' men doubled their advantage 12 minutes into the second period.
Vazquez blasted home an unstoppable strike, with Sarabia the provider on this occasion.
That goal appeared to shock Espanyol into action as Lucas Vazquez, twice, and Felipe Caicedo were denied by Getafe goalkeeper Jonathan Lopez.
Lopez had no answer to Arbilla's rasping 25-yard volley in the 89th minute but Getafe held on and moved to within three points of eighth-placed Espanyol.
Barcelona 0 Malaga 1: Juanmi ends hosts´ winning run
21 February 2015
Malaga produced a determined display against Barcelona on Saturday, winning 1-0 to claim their first Camp Nou triumph since 1999.
Barcelona were once again left frustrated by Malaga as the Liga title challengers slumped to a 1-0 home defeat and saw their 11-match winning run come to a halt.
Malaga claimed a 0-0 draw after successfully nullifying Lionel Messi and Neymar when the two sides met at La Rosaleda in September, and they were just as effective again, producing a determined display to claim their first Camp Nou victory since 1999.
Luis Suarez, who missed their last meeting, was unable to inspire a change in Barca's fortunes this time around, as their usually lethal frontline struggled after Juanmi capitalised on an early Dani Alves error to break the deadlock.
The hosts unsurprisingly dictated the tempo of the match, though Malaga's hard-working defence held firm in admirable fashion, while Javi Gracia's side posed a significant threat on the break.
Rafinha and Andres Iniesta saw Barca's best chances go begging in the first half, while opportunities were even rarer after the break, as Malaga proved impenetrable.
Malaga ultimately scraped over the finish line to claim a famous and surprising win despite Barca's intense late pressure, sealing a result that will raise smiles at title rivals Real Madrid.
Despite resting few key players in the lead up to Tuesday's UEFA Champions League trip to Manchester City, Barca trailed after just seven minutes, proving to be their own worst enemy.
Dani Alves sold Claudio Bravo short with a poor back-pass and Juanmi pounced, skipping beyond the goalkeeper before prodding home, doing little to help the Brazilian's bid for a new contract.
Barca almost hit back just two minutes later, but Weligton, who infamously clashed with Messi in this season's reverse fixture, crucially blocked Rafinha's powerful goal-bound effort.
Though the hosts continued to dominate, Malaga's dogged defending ensured that clear-cut opportunities were something of a rarity.
And the visitors proved particularly dangerous on the counter-attack, nearly adding to their lead twice in quick succession just after the half-hour mark.
Barca should have restored parity five minutes before the interval, though Iniesta could only send his tame header straight at Carlos Kameni.
The hosts' monopolisation of the ball continued into the second half without much to show for their efforts, as the impressive Weligton and Roberto Rosales remained solid at the back.
Neymar and Messi attempted to force the issue, driving forward with intent and forcing the Malaga defence back, but generally the hosts' final ball fell flat, as opportunities eluded Luis Enrique's men.
Substitute Pedro sent their best chance into the side netting, leaving Luis Enrique with much to ponder ahead of their trip to face the Premier League champions.
Atletico Madrid 3 Almeria 0: Champions enter crucial period with comfortable win
21 February 2015
Atletico Madrid began a run of potentially-crucial fixtures with a comfortable 3-0 La Liga home victory against Almeria on Saturday.
Atletico Madrid started what could be a season-defining run of fixtures with a convincing 3-0 La Liga win against Almeria at Vicente Calderon on Saturday.
Mario Mandzukic scored an early penalty before teeing up two first-half goals for strike partner Antoine Griezmann, as Diego Simeone's side cruised past their struggling visitors - although they played the last few minutes with 10 men after Guilherme Siqueira was sent off for a second booking late on.
It was still a welcome win for the champions, who currently sit third behind rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona having lost to Celta Vigo last time out.
They face Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Champions League last 16 on Wednesday before back-to-back meetings with fellow top-four contenders Sevilla and Valencia.
The home side's intentions were clear from the outset, but the breakthrough came with the help of a contentious spot-kick.
Mandzukic and Griezmann demonstrated their developing partnership for the next two goals to put the result beyond doubt before half-time, allowing Simeone to rotate his squad after the break.
Almeria, meanwhile, saw their three-match unbeaten run end, meaning results on Sunday could drag them closer to the drop zone.
Simeone's side started the match with plenty of purpose and intensity to their play and got their reward in the 13th minute, albeit in controversial circumstances.
Diego Godin was adjudged to have been fouled in the penalty area while attempting to meet Gabi's floated free-kick.
Mauro Dos Santos was identified as the chief offender, although he and his team-mates, two of whom also jumped with the Uruguayan, looked bemused at the penalty award.
Mandzukic ignored all of the arguments to coolly convert the spot-kick and give Atleti the lead.
Things got worse for the visitors in the 20th minute, and this time there were few doubts about the main culprit.
Fran Velez inexplicably played the ball to the feet of Mandzukic 40 yards from goal and the former Bayern Munich frontman was able to send his strike partner Griezmann through to double the lead with a composed finish.
The game was all-but over as a contest nine minutes later when Griezmann and Mandzukic combined once again to add a third goal.
The Frenchman managed to get the wrong side of his defender inside the six-yard box to latch on to Mandzukic's knockdown and fire past Julian on the turn, as Almeria failed to deal with another aerial ball.
Almeria did their best to respond in the opening minutes of the second half and did increase their tempo, but Atleti managed to maintain their superiority.
With one eye clearly on their return to European action, Simeone was able to withdraw Mandzukic and Griezmann to standing ovations in the second period, to be replaced by Fernando Torres and Raul Garcia.
Garcia almost marked his return from suspension with a goal, but he dragged his shot across goal from six yards out, after a strong surge into the box in the 77th minute.
That was as close as either side came to adding a second-half goal, and the only blot on otherwise fantastic evening for Atleti was the late sending off for Siqueira.
The defender was shown a second yellow card for deliberate handball on the half-way line, but it mattered little to the overall context of the match.
Barcelona suffered a shock La Liga loss on Saturday, while Atletico Madrid returned to winning ways.
Barcelona were once again left frustrated by Malaga as the Liga title challengers slumped to a 1-0 home defeat and saw their 11-match winning run come to a halt.
Malaga claimed a 0-0 draw after successfully nullifying Lionel Messi and Neymar when the two sides met at La Rosaleda in September, and they were just as effective again, producing a determined display to claim their first Camp Nou victory since 1999.
Luis Suarez, who missed their last meeting, was unable to inspire a change in Barca's fortunes this time around, as their usually lethal frontline struggled after Juanmi capitalised on an early Dani Alves error to break the deadlock.
Atletico Madrid started what could be a season-defining run of fixtures with a convincing 3-0 win against Almeria at Vicente Calderon on Saturday.
Mario Mandzukic scored an early penalty before teeing up two first-half goals for strike partner Antoine Griezmann, as Diego Simeone's side cruised past their struggling visitors - although they played the last few minutes with 10 men after Guilherme Siqueira was sent off for a second booking late on.
It was still a welcome win for the champions, who currently sit third behind rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona having lost to Celta Vigo last time out.
Valencia opened up a five-point gap on fifth-placed Sevilla with a hard-fought 2-1 victory at Cordoba.
Nabil Ghilas' second-half penalty had cancelled out Andre Gomes' goal as bottom side Cordoba looked set to earn a point.
But Pablo Piatti proved to be the hero for Valencia with his 81st-minute effort.
Celta Vigo extended their unbeaten league run to four games with a 2-0 victory at Deportivo La Coruna, who finished the clash with 10 men.
Javi Gracia described Malaga's win over Barcelona as a perfect performance on Saturday.
Malaga coach Javi Gracia lauded his team for producing what he described as a complete performance to beat Barcelona 1-0 on Saturday.
Juanmi's seventh-minute goal was decisive as Malaga dealt Barcelona's La Liga chances a huge blow.
Gracia said his team did almost everything right, just as is needed against Luis Enrique's star-studded outfit.
"To beat Barcelona, you need to get several things right," he told a media conference.
"You need to do great defensive work because of the rival's qualities. Obviously, in order to win you also have to take advantage of your chances.
"Our attacking chances were going to come from moving the ball fast, counter-attacks. We knew we were going to be mostly in our half of the pitch trying to defend well.
"This win came after much hard work and consistency throughout the 90 minutes.
"If you put all of that together, you get the victory for a team like ours in such a difficult moment like this one."
Malaga sit seventh, but the win ended a two-game losing league run and sees them remain in European contention.
Gracia knew the importance of the victory.
"They are very valuable points because after two consecutive defeats there was a serious chance of getting a third, coming to such a difficult stadium like this one," he said.
"I'm happy because we get closer to our goal of keeping our place in the league, but there are still many games to play."
Luis Enrique defends Dani Alves after Malaga howler
21 February 2015
Dani Alves was punished for a costly error in Barcelona's 1-0 defeat to Malaga on Saturday, but coach Luis Enrique says he is not to blame.
Luis Enrique insisted that Dani Alves was not solely to blame for Barcelona's shock 1-0 defeat at home to Malaga on Saturday.
The Brazil defender, who is reported to be unhappy about Barca's failure to offer him a new contract, made a costly error in the seventh minute of the match, under-hitting a back-pass to goalkeeper Claudio Bravo from which Juanmi scored the winning goal.
Barca enjoyed plenty of possession as they desperately tried to mount a comeback, but Javi Gracia's men held on for their first win at Camp Nou since November 1999.
Alves was later withdrawn in the 73rd minute, but his coach refused to point the finger at him.
"We accept that we may have deserved this defeat," Luis Enrique told reporters. "The entire team is accountable for mistakes - a coach must never single anyone out.
"It was not our best day collectively or individually. Each attack fell apart in the final third against a counter-attacking team.
"We attacked through the middle too many times. We were not very effective or decisive. If you have problems [in attack] then this [a failure to score] happens.
"It's a result that hurts us and is not good for us. Malaga played a very good match."
