Diego Simeone felt the first half of the Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich was Atletico Madrid at their very best.
Saul Niguez scored the game’s only goal early in the tie to give Atletico a lead to take to the Allianz Arena next week, Simeone lauding his side when speaking to the Press.
“The result gives us the opportunity to go there with possibilities. The first half was very close to what we wanted. The second was the opposite, with a closer view of what they wanted at the start,” Cholo told reporters, according to AS.
“It was an exciting game with good feelings, with great effort. In the second half we defended because the opponent played a very good game.
“The first 45 minutes was possibly the best version of this team, without looking to [the game against] Barcelona. We wanted to have a high-level match. [An opponent] with so many variations, who play as well as they do, could generate a lot of difficulties.
“Augusto Fernandez’s performances makes us very happy. He recovered the ball well, got out well, occupied the spaces. It makes us happy because we were right to sign him.”
Simeone is though refusing to get carried away with the second leg still to come, insisting he is well aware of the magnitude of the return.
“Feelings? I feel like there’s a game. It’s a beautiful return leg at an impressive ground with a very strong opponent, where those who enter are as good or better than. This is a double challenge for our hopes,” he continued.
