Diego Simeone critical of Atletico Madrid performance despite dramatic win

Atletico Madrid came through their first Champions League group match with a victory, but it couldn’t have been more dramatic if the Metropolitano had dreamed it up.

Los Colchoneros looked destined for a draw when both teams struck in stoppage time, only for Antoine Griezmann to nod home the winner with the last touch of the match. Relief and euphoria were unleashed, erasing the tense 110 minutes before that one.

Speaking after the match to Diario AS, Diego Simeone was not best-pleased with his side though, highlighting there was almost nothing in the game.

“We didn’t play a good match. There were barely chances for either team, one for them in the second half, the disallowed goal for us, a weak shot from Koke in the first half, but from open play very little. Nothing for anyone, very little.”

“They were better in the match in the middle that was being played, of who robbed the ball and pressed better. They were better than us in terms of pressure, they didn’t let us do anything because of their intensity and it is not the first time it has happened to us with them.”

“They worked very well, they didn’t allow us to play, we were not able to.”

Simeone is no doubt the first to express his joy at the win, racing down the touchline to meet the match-winner Griezmann. His closing remarks highlighted his views on the game as a whole though.

“Then came the disallowed goal, the half-lucky goal that Mario Hermoso hits, it seemed as if we were on our way, but we were not composed, we lost a simple ball, then the penalty that [Jan] Oblak almost pulls in… And it ends with an important goal, a ball from a set-piece, which is something we haven’t managed for a while, glanced and finished. The triumph allows us to correct things, but the match was bad.”

Naturally it is easier to make those comments just after a win, but Simeone seemed genuinely disappointed with his side. Earlier in the week Simeone had been content with their development. Once the excitement wears off though, the Atleti players might be in for a few hard training sessions.

Tags Atletico Madrid Diego Simeone Porto
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