Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone says Elche deserved their victory on Sunday.
Elche who are already relegated, won 1-0 via a first-half goal from Fidel Chaves de la Torre.
Simeone said, “A match that Elche played very well, in which they had more intensity. Let’s congratulate the opponents, a relegated team who put a lot of effort into this match and showed how beautiful football is.
“We didn’t play the game we wanted to play, let’s think about preparing for the next game. Second place? We are only thinking about qualifying for the Champions League.
“We have to try to improve and show that qualifying for the Champions League is very important for Atlético and it won’t be easy. Four games to go. The team played excellent games and I am confident that next week, with our people, we will be able to take a definitive step.”