“We could have done better in both goals”

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone lamented on Tuesday, after the 2-1 defeat against Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16, that his team “could have done better in the two goals” conceded and considered that “the result is not good”, but there is still the second leg at home.

“The result is not good. It is clear that we are looking to draw or win the match. I leave with the feeling that the team competed well, that we could have done better in the two goals we conceded. We have to continue with the same pace against Getafe and from Sunday start thinking about the second leg, which will be tough, difficult, that we are playing in our stadium and that we have the support of our fans and that it will be an important match,” he said at a press conference at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

“The two goals from them I think were key. We couldn't handle them well. We could have done better. Those important details put the tie in their favour so far,” continued Simeone, who is more upset about "the second" goal from the ‘Merengue’ side, because his team was "controlling the match better and the sensations were very good." “The first goal was very fast, very explosive. In the second goal, the superiority was notorious. We ended up competing well, we took risks in the last play”, the coach added.

“We had a lot of control of the game. The best part of the match was the team's reaction to their early goal. We started to play the game we wanted to play, Julian's goal came, we had the chance when Giuliano sent in a cross and Lino didn't manage to push it into the net. We left with the feeling of being good on the field in the first half,” he reviewed.

“In the second half, we started the same way, with control of the game without depth, except for De Paul's play that could have been a goal. Situations were generated, the team was good, their goal came and from then on another game started, where you run the risk of 3-1. We lost. It happened to us last year in Milan (against Inter), when we lost 1-0. We have to make a huge effort on Wednesday to be able to continue where we want to be.”

“That hope that wasn't a goal (in the last play) gives us an open door for what's to come,” said the coach, about the second game at the Metropolitano, from which he remarked that he will need his fans, with "their energy" for the comeback.

 

March 4, 2025