The red-and-white team secured their passage to the next round by defeating FC Barcelona 1-2 at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, thus consolidating their 0-2 lead from the first leg. Simeone stressed that his team is now among the top four in Europe, though he warned of future challenges.
“"They don't know how good it is to be among the top four teams in Europe. We are excited about the three matches we have left. We need to fulfill the three matches we have ahead based on respect, humility, and knowing what we want. We are very clear about what we have, and we are going to go for it."
The Argentine coach acknowledged that Atlético made “significant errors” at the start of the match, which allowed the Catalan team to re-engage in the tie due to their “speed of play.” During the initial minutes, controlling the opponent's associative play proved difficult for the Madrid side.
Facing a 2-0 deficit, Simeone highlighted the team's decision to continue competing. He attributed this reaction to the personality of Antoine Griezmann, the analysis by Koke, the recovery of Marcos Llorente, and the composure of Juan Musso, all key factors that fueled the team's growth during the match.
Finally, the coach emphasized Ademola Lookman's goal, describing it as a “great goal” that allowed Atlético to regain control of the match and the game plan established from the outset.
