Coach Diego Simeone commended Atletico Madrid’s performance in their 2-1 Champions League triumph over Borussia Dortmund but expressed disappointment over his team’s failure to capitalize on chances that could have given them a more significant advantage in the quarterfinal tie.
Atletico largely dominated the first leg at the Metropolitano on Wednesday, securing an early lead with Rodrigo de Paul’s fourth-minute goal and extending it to 2-0 thanks to Samuel Lino’s strike after half an hour.
Antoine Griezmann and Lino had opportunities to further widen the lead, but Dortmund managed to pull a late goal back through substitute Sebastian Haller and struck the woodwork twice, keeping hopes alive for the return leg in Germany next Tuesday.
“Every tie in this round has been very even: [Real Madrid v Manchester] City, [Arsenal v] Bayern, [Paris Saint-Germain v] Barca. And ours too,” Simeone remarked to Movistar.
Diego Simeone (Via Laliga/Twitter)
“We saw it in the game between Manchester City and Real Madrid above all, they’re among the best teams in the last eight. They’re amazing, every time they get close to the goal, they score, and that makes the difference.
“We had 60 or 70 very good minutes, and it’s normal to have some moments where the opponent can do something. They did that, and they could have got the draw.”
Simeone defended Álvaro Morata, who has struggled for form lately, scoring only one goal since January after an impressive first half of the season.
“There are things that you can’t explain, which are natural,” Simeone remarked in his post-match news conference. “Alvaro had six impressive months from July to January. Now he’s in a more difficult moment, he isn’t finding the goal, but he’s working hard and through that work, the goals will come.”
Athletico Madrid Team (Via Laliga/Twitter)
Following the game, Morata’s strike partner Griezmann received treatment for his right ankle but remained optimistic about his fitness for Atletico’s LaLiga fixture against Girona on Saturday.
“We won, and that’s the important thing,” Griezmann stated to Movistar. “It doesn’t matter what happened at the end [of the game], it’s a shame we conceded a goal, but it’s very important to win in a Champions League quarterfinal.”
Looking ahead, if Atletico advance past Dortmund, they’ll face the victors of the tie between Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona, which Atletico leads 3-2 after the first leg. Griezmann acknowledged the significance of potentially facing his former club but emphasized the primary focus on reaching the semifinals.
