Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone admits he got it tactically wrong against Rostov on Tuesday night, but his players made amends.
Los Rojiblancos needed a 93rd minute winner from Antoine Griezmann to seal the victory over the Russian side at the Calderon but the visitors spurned plenty of opportunities to win the game against Simeone's men, who were unusually sloppy defensively.
“It’s a game in which I didn’t make good decisions and they’ll be for me to chew over tonight," explained the 46-year-old after the game, as quoted by UEFA's website.
“It was as we expected. Hard, difficult, competitive. We knew how they play and that they don’t lose by a lot of goals when they do. Today I made some bad decisions but the players were able to resolve the game themselves.
“Godín is a very important player for us. In all these years he’s shown his virtues for us. It was a bad game for me, I made bad decisions in different moments during the game and I’m hurt by that, very hurt.
“We knew how they play, they attack directly and move the ball well. That’s how it went. We lost the ball and they hit us on the counter through the middle very well."
The result ensured Atleti qualify for the last sixteen of the competition, and they will be aiming to go one better than last year's final defeat.
“To qualify is brilliant. It was a difficult decision for the officials at the end but the referee was brilliant in seeing it came off a defender and was right to give the goal," Simeone continued.
“Griezmann, although he wasn’t scoring before this was very dangerous. He’s always dangerous and forward thinking. He always makes the right decisions at the business end of the pitch.
“Today he got back in the goals and will be happy and the side are delighted with that because today we needed him.”
“To be in the knockout phase for the fourth season in a row is something that fills us with pride. The club, myself as a coach and the way the players compete at the top level. It’s a great start to the European campaign this year."
