Simeone: we must work to face elite rivals at the end
The Atlético de Madrid coach, Diego Simeone, spoke after the 0-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday night at the Metropolitano, stating that “we have to work to play against these opponents at the end of the season” and that the team must improve for future duels.
Immediate reactions and match analysis
Simeone greeted Aaron Danks before the match. The pre‑match photograph was taken by Manu Fernández and Walter Zimmermann. The coach, whose full name is Diego Pablo Simeone, appeared before the media after the 0-2 defeat to Bayern Munich. He said that the team maintained the level of play until the first goal and that they competed very well against an important and strong opponent.
He noted that the first goal came from their own mistakes and that “the details matter”. He stated that football is based on individual moments of quality and on the errors that are made, and that those who exploit those mistakes are the ones who score the most goals. He rejected any direct criticism of the group after the nine‑match unbeaten run ended. He highlighted Bayern’s physical power, saying that their physical attributes have always been a constant and that the goals usually stem from mistakes.
He commented that Erling Sörloth’s presence allowed them to play more directly, without relying so much on deep‑lying players. He added that Alejandro “Alex” Granero’s position gave them a lot until the opponent held on. He indicated that the match was under control until the first goal, but the second one sealed it definitively.
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Future perspective and outlook
He explained that they needed to keep playing as they were until the 0‑1 and that, up to the 55‑60 minute, they competed very well. He noted that they know Bayern’s physical attributes and that the goals are, for the most part, mistakes. He assured that they must recover for Sunday and be strong for what lies ahead.
He commented that Sörloth gave them the option of not playing with deep players and of trusting more in direct play, which yielded while it lasted. He declared that they had the match under control and played as they wanted, but they could not react after the 0‑1 and could have done better before the 0‑2. Referring to the death of De Miguel, he expressed his condolences and stated that the only important thing is family unity.
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He added that any other issue only creates mistakes. He concluded that when facing opponents of the stature of Bayern or Arsenal, they must work to reach the full 120 minutes, as 100 is not enough. He indicated that duels against elite teams in the final rounds demand total effort and that the goal is to be ready for those encounters at the end of the season.