Atlético de Madrid coach, Diego Simeone, acknowledged that Barcelona played an excellent match and, given the scoring chances they created, they "probably deserved to win." However, he reflected that in football, "sometimes these situations happen."

Barcelona Dominated Until the First Goal

Simeone praised his team's "nobility and humility to suffer and defend" against a Barcelona side that constantly created dangerous plays. He also admitted that the Barcelona players were "far superior" until Pedro González 'Pedri' scored in the 30th minute, but his team found their way into the game as the "energy" of Barcelona started to fade.

"As we started circulating the ball, we began to see that we could compete. In the second half, we changed our approach to press higher up, and the game became more balanced," said Simeone.

Atlético's Reaction

The Atlético de Madrid coach also acknowledged that Barcelona surprised his team early on, as they usually play with an inverted diamond, but this time they positioned two players on the flanks. "We had to move Rodrigo De Paul wide, and Pedri was getting behind us. We understood that we needed to adjust, so we switched to a 5-3-2. That’s when we improved a bit," Simeone added.

The goal by Rodrigo De Paul and the eventual victory, thanks to a stunning goal from Alexander Sorloth, were crucial for Atlético de Madrid to withstand Barcelona's dominance. Simeone explained that Sorloth's entry brought the ability to "hold the ball" and "help the team move forward from the back."