Barcelona struck twice in stoppage time on Sunday night time to sentence Atletico Madrid to a second heart-rending defeat within the house of 4 days on the Metropolitano. Atletico supervisor Diego Simeone had little to reproach his gamers for although.
Simeone was requested at first to elucidate how the defeat took place, with Atletico two goasl to the nice with simply twenty minutes to go.
Casadó performed whereas being injured for 40 minutes. @tjuanmarti
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) March 17, 2025
“We congratulate our opponents for his or her decisiveness on the essential second. We earned an excellent consequence that didn’t final lengthy, permitting us to strengthen our sport. That 2-1 created power, confidence, and extra assaults on their half. We had the prospect to handle it higher on some counterattacks, nevertheless it ended on the intention; we didn’t select that ultimate go effectively.”
“The two-2 got here, the 2-3 got here from a fortuitous shot, which is a part of the sport. Simply as we received and drew in Barcelona, the coin fell of their favour this time.”
Diego Simeone: “It is clear that there isn’t any want to speak, however to see that the staff competes. We have proven that in these final matches. We have to win. We’ve an awesome alternative to achieve a ultimate as soon as once more. It is going to be powerful. We’ll combat till the top. There are ten matches left,… pic.twitter.com/D3TEfLzWQA
— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) March 16, 2025
The narrative in Spain has been that this would possibly effectively have been a deadly blow to their title hopes, with Barcelona and Actual Madrid 4 factors forward of them.
“Barca has one sport in hand, and we by no means know what would possibly occur. They’ve a major benefit; we’re conscious of that. We’ll take it one sport at a time, specializing in Espanyol and persevering with on that path till the top.”
Simeone did lament the truth that Atletico didn’t deal with Barcelona’s restart effectively after their second purpose, with Robert Lewandowski nearly instantly pulling one again for the Catalans. In his eyes, El Cholo was too gradual to place Jose Maria Gimenez on the pitch although.
“After we went 2-0 up, the sport was in an vital place. Their purpose didn’t give me time, and it took me too lengthy to deliver on Gimenez. I ought to have executed it earlier than they took the kick-off, however they scored. We began speaking and the second got here. That’s to not say that if he had come on it wouldn’t have occurred, however the staff wanted energy.”
“It was clear that Barca, with their weapons and their nice gamers, had been going to take an opportunity. It labored out effectively for them; we congratulate them. We couldn’t be sturdy and nor might we make the most of the counterattacks,” he advised Diario AS.
He additionally rejected the concept that the exhaustion from their Champions League elimination to Actual Madrid took its toll within the ultimate levels.
“Barcelona is the staff that performs the very best soccer, they mix the very best associative soccer as a staff, and still have nice particular person gamers.”
🗣️Diego Simeone #AtleticoMadrid #FCBarcelona pic.twitter.com/LP3YcKJsuO
— Soccer España (@footballespana_) March 17, 2025
“It hasn’t been demonstrated, as a result of we regarded for contemporary power. De Paul was coming off a knock in Getafe; he made an enormous effort on Wednesday, and at the moment, Julian was feeling unwell, with a fever, and he performed as you noticed, unbelievable, responding, and I can’t ask for greater than what they’re giving us.”
Atletico’s focus will shift to Espanyol, however the minds of many followers shall be on the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final with Barcelona simply days later. After drawing the primary leg 4-4 in Barcelona, that now seems like their simplest path to a trophy, after what has largely been a powerful season.