Diego Simeone has scoffed at the suggestion Atletico Madrid's LaLiga title hopes will be over if they lose to Real Madrid in Sunday's derby.
Reigning champions Atletico go into the game trailing their city rivals by 10 points, albeit with a game in hand.
It is a major moment in the season for both clubs, described by Simeone as "very important", and a victory for the hosts at the Santiago Bernabeu would represent a significant step towards the title.
But Simeone, who confirmed striker Luis Suarez will be involved after a midweek injury scare, is not willing to countenance surrender at this stage of the season.
"As always we are quick to say that LaLiga is over," Simeone said. "La Liga will always be competitive because there are very good teams.
Six teams working well
"There is a group of five or six teams in the upper part that are working very well. We are going to go game by game as ever, and we are not going to change that."
Atletico have not won any of their past seven games against Madrid across all competitions (D4 L3), which ranks as their longest such winless run in the rivalry under Simeone.
"We are going to play a very important game, as it always is against our rival," said Simeone in a Saturday news conference.
