Diego Simeone praised Atletico Madrid’s resilience after they secured a 2-1 victory over Barcelona on Saturday, moving to the top of LaLiga with their 12th consecutive win across all competitions.
It was Atletico’s first win at the Nou Camp since 2006, a significant achievement for the club under Simeone’s leadership.
Simeone acknowledged Barcelona’s dominance for much of the match, stating that his team had to endure significant pressure.
“In the first half and up until our goal, they were far superior to us,” said the 54-year-old coach. “We were humble enough to suffer and defend, but after our goal, we started to compete and found a way to hold on.”
The Argentine coach credited his substitutes as crucial to the win, particularly the decision to replace Antoine Griezmann with Alexander Sorloth in the 73rd minute.
The change proved inspired as Sorloth netted the decisive goal after a counter-attack. “When one player comes off and another steps in to deliver, that’s what a team is about,” Simeone remarked. “Griezmann coming off was difficult, but I knew Sorloth could offer us a different dimension.”
Simeone also lauded the performance of goalkeeper Jan Oblak, whose crucial saves in the second half kept Barcelona from extending their lead. “We have a great goalkeeper who played a defining role in the match,” Simeone said.
The win leaves Atletico three points clear at the top of LaLiga, while Barcelona remain second, having played one game more.
