Javier Aguirre says his side head into the final game of the year against Atletico Madrid with a "good feeling" as we look to extend our unbeaten run.
With the season set to be put on pause for the World Cup, the boss believes we will need to be at our best against Diego Simeone's side.
"The truth is that it's never a good time to host Atlético de Madrid," he told the media. "They are third in LaLiga and are the third best attack in LaLiga. They deserve all my respect.
"It's a club that has won everything with Cholo and has great players. It's true that they have a couple of suspended players, but they will come with everything. We all know each other and I know they won't give anything away. They're going to go all out. My players have been warned.
"I have a good feeling for tomorrow's match. The team is giving me a good feeling. They've been playing for six or seven games now and you can see the determination with which they train, the confidence with which they go out to the match, whoever the opponent is. I have a good feeling, I see them well.
"We all work on recovering the ball or on defensive movements. I would like to score more goals, it's true. But that will come later on."
Gio Gonzalez has had an impressive run in the starting XI and has caught the eye with an instant understanding with centre forward Vedat Muriqi, although the boss is not surprised by our right back's run of form.
"He has very good numbers, is a very complete player and these are the problems that any coach wants to have: two players at a very good level. I don't know if he will go to the World Cup or not, he is on Uruguay's list of 55," he continued. "He is a professional from head to toe and he is a good boy."
With the campaign about to undergo a mid-season break for the World Cup for the first time in the sport's history, Aguirre says it is no excuse to lower our level.
"It is true that it is atypical in the middle of the season, but there were also Christmases when you went away for 10 or 12 days and a player also needs to be with his family and go to his homeland.
"We have to understand that the day we stop running, fighting and fighting, we are vulnerable and with or without a break, we have to do the same. If we deviate from that we are an ordinary and vulnerable team."
