'Failure is a broad word - Simeone insists Atletico are having a good season

Atletico have lost three and drawn one of their last five outings, winning the other 1-0 against Real Madrid in the Champions League last 16 to level the aggregate score, only to be knocked out on penalties.

Simeone's side suffered a major blow in the league title race when they slumped to a 4-2 home defeat to Barcelona before the international break, followed by a 1-1 draw at relegation-threatened Espanyol on Saturday.

It leaves them nine points adrift of leaders Barcelona, and six behind second-placed Madrid with nine games remaining.

Their attention now, however, turns to their Copa del Rey semi-final second leg on Wednesday against Barcelona, with the tie evenly poised after they staged a late comeback to rescue a last-gasp 4-4 draw in the first leg back in February.

"I'm talking about my feeling; the team is having a very good season," Simeone told reporters when asked if this season was a failure.

"It competed very well in the Champions League [where they suffered a round of 16 exit] and is doing very well in the league. We are constantly taking it one game at a time.

"Failure is a broad word. He who doesn't try, fails; he who tries, doesn't fail. The outcome of the game by game will dictate whether the season is very good, extraordinary, or average.

"We have to continue as we have always worked, with enthusiasm, joy, intensity. The same way we worked in the first game against Malaga."

Atletico have conceded nine goals against Barcelona in all competitions this season so far, including four in each of the last two.

When asked about the goals conceded in previous matches against Barca, the Argentine replied: "It doesn't seem strange to me because the rival plays with the same intensity the whole game.

"They are going to have goal situations; they play in a very brave way, and we have to try to go through the best moments of the game and isolate them from that potential."