Diego Simeone does not expect an easy ride when Atletico Madrid face Celta Vigo in the first leg of their Copa del Rey quarter-final at Balaidos on Wednesday.
Atletico are looking to reach the semi-final stage of the competition for a third successive season under their Argentine coach.
The Madrid club have been in impressive form in recent months, suffering just one defeat in their last 22 matches in all competitions – a 1-0 loss at Malaga on December 20.
"A squad is valued when the guys who do not start the matches resolve good situations for the group. When you have this, there is talk of a good squad," he said.
"We can have a lot of internal competition, with players that take advantage of their minutes. That is happening and puts us in a good situation.
"The secret is not to think about it [qualifying]. I focus only on approaching the game as if it were the last. Cup ties are always complex, especially against teams like Celta.
"We focus on ourselves. I imagine a similar game – we do not change from one match to another. They may have variations. The other day they played with [Iago] Aspas on the right."
"It will be a tough, tough game. We must be very careful because goals conceded have great significance," he said.
"You have to know the tie does not just take place in Vigo, but at the Vicente Calderon in seven days too."
