Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone was full of praise for his players after they fought back to earn a 1-1 draw against Celta Vigo, despite playing almost the entire match with 10 men.
The dramatic LaLiga encounter saw Atletico go behind to an Iago Aspas goal before Alexander Sorloth struck late to salvage a point.
Atletico’s challenge became even tougher early on when Pablo Barrios received a straight red card, forcing them to defend with a numerical disadvantage. However, Simeone was inspired by his team’s response.
“If I had to grade it from one to 10, I clearly have to give my players a 10,” he said. “To play almost 90 minutes with one man down is something I’ve seen very few times, and they managed to defend well.”
Despite Celta’s attacking intent, Atletico limited their chances, aside from the penalty that led to the opening goal. Instead of sitting back after equalizing, Simeone’s side even pushed for a late winner.
“The boys are in a good moment, and what I saw out there after the red card were gladiators… Ninety minutes with one down, you know? It’s very, very tough,” the Atletico boss added.
The result meant Atletico missed an opportunity to overtake Real Madrid at the top of the table after their city rivals also dropped points earlier in the day. Atletico now sit second with 51 points, one behind Real, while Barcelona, with a game in hand, could close the gap when they face Rayo Vallecano on Monday.
