Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone on Barcelona loss – ‘I should have…’ | OneFootball

Barcelona struck twice in stoppage time on Sunday night to condemn Atletico Madrid to a second heart-rending defeat in the space of four days at the Metropolitano. Atletico manager Diego Simeone had little to reproach his players for though.

Simeone was asked first and foremost to explain how the defeat came about, with Atletico two goasl to the good with just twenty minutes to go.

“We congratulate our opponents for their decisiveness at the crucial moment. We earned a very good result that didn’t last long, allowing us to strengthen our game. That 2-1 created energy, confidence, and more attacks on their part. We had the chance to manage it better on some counterattacks, but it ended at the intention; we didn’t choose that final pass well.”

“The 2-2 came, the 2-3 came from a fortuitous shot, which is part of the game. Just as we won and drew in Barcelona, ​​the coin fell in their favour this time.”

The narrative in Spain has been that this might well have been a fatal blow to their title hopes, with Barcelona and Real Madrid four points ahead of them.

“Barca has one game in hand, and we never know what might happen. They have a significant advantage; we’re aware of that. We’ll take it one game at a time, focusing on Espanyol and continuing on that path until the end.”

Image via AFP / Bernat Armangue

Simeone did lament the fact that Atletico did not handle Barcelona’s restart well after their second goal, with Robert Lewandowski almost immediately pulling one back for the Catalans. In his eyes, El Cholo was too slow to put Jose Maria Gimenez on the pitch though.

“When we went 2-0 up, the game was in an important place. Their goal didn’t give me time, and it took me too long to bring on Gimenez. I should have done it before they took the kick-off, but they scored. We started talking and the second came. That’s not to say that if he had come on it wouldn’t have happened, but the team needed strength.”

“It was clear that Barca, with their weapons and their great players, were going to take a chance. It worked out well for them; we congratulate them. We couldn’t be strong and nor could we take advantage of the counterattacks,” he told Diario AS.

He also rejected the idea that the exhaustion from their Champions League elimination to Real Madrid took its toll in the final stages.

“It hasn’t been demonstrated, because we looked for fresh energy. De Paul was coming off a knock in Getafe; he made a huge effort on Wednesday, and today, Julian was feeling unwell, with a fever, and he played as you saw, incredible, responding, and I can’t ask for more than what they’re giving us.”

Atletico’s focus will shift to Espanyol, but the minds of many fans will be on the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final with Barcelona just days later. After drawing the first leg 4-4 in Barcelona, that now looks like their most simple route to a trophy, after what has largely been an impressive season.