Málaga Need 12 More Points To Be Safe - Tapia

Antonio Tapia believes that Málaga need 12 more points to ensure that they stay in the top flight this season and he wants to pick up three of those against Atlético de Madrid this weekend.

The Andalucian club's coach has set his side a target of 43 points in order to be able to feel more comfortable about their position in la Primera; they currently reside in seventh.

Málaga were promoted back to first division last season and were widely tipped to be favourites to go straight back down, but their form has meant that they are unlikely to do that.

"We all want to beat Atlético and if we can then we have to move up from there. But that is common sense and I do think that it would be right to only look down the table," Tapia told reporters.

"But our first priority is ensuring that we stay up. The maths is clear and I think that we need 12 more points to say that we are safe."

Atlético de Madrid gave Málaga a rude introduction to life back among the big boys with a four-goal defeat on the opening day of the season and Tapia is looking for a spot of revenge.

"We want to improve from the way we played and also to change the result. On that occasion they walked over us and deserved to win," he continued.

"Now we have revenge pending against them, but in a sporting and legal sense.

"The talk of the inconsistency of Atlético is relative because they have now gone a few games without losing.

"It will depend on how we play, but we know that they will come to make things difficult for us. But we plan to make things equally difficult for them.

Lucas Brown, Goal.com