Saul Niguez admits Atletico Madrid were not good enough against Qarabag but insists Champions League progression “is still in our hands.”
Atleti laboured to a disappointing 0-0 draw in Azerbaijan, leaving them three points off a top-two place in Group C with as many rounds left to play and Saul to concede his side had “no other option” but to win their remaining matches.
“We knew that if we didn’t win here, things would get very complicated for us and that’s how it is,” the midfielder said after the game.
“There are three games that we have to win, to have any chance [of the knockout stages], and that’s what we have to do, there’s no other option.
“Qarabag? They did well, but we didn’t take advantage of the chances we had.
“If we didn’t score in the first few minutes, they were going to come forward and we were going to play with more haste, as well as more heart than football.
“Dressing room? There’s a feeling of complication, but we know we’re capable of pulling it off.
“Not scoring the biggest problem? It’s looking like that. We need composure in the last few yards and we don’t have that right now.
“Anxiety after the red card? I think so, it rushed us a bit. We started with a lot of desire to win, but with that comes pressure.
“We were better towards the end of the first half, but the clock is always ticking. We have a great team and we’re going to work hard. It’s in our hands, winning all three matches.
“Griezmann? It’s a problem when a player isn’t at 100 percent, and if it’s Griezmann, even more so because he can make the difference at any moment, but it’s not only him.
“The team weren’t at the level that they had to be.”
