Simeone secures challenging inaugural victory at Barcelona’s Camp Nou with Atleti
Diego Simeone described his Atlético Madrid squad as “extremely clinical” following a 2-0 victory in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal against Barcelona, marking the club’s first triumph at Camp Nou in two decades.
Julián Álvarez opened the scoring for Atletico with a free kick just prior to halftime, shortly after Pau Cubarsí’s red card had reduced Barça to 10 players, and substitute Alexander Sørloth extended the visitors’ advantage in the second half.
Simeone had not previously secured a win at Camp Nou as a coach, holding a record of seven draws and 11 losses before Wednesday’s match, while Atletico’s last success at the iconic venue dated back to 2006.
“It’s true we had never won here at this stadium. It’s very challenging to achieve,” Simeone stated to Movistar. “[Barcelona] might be the best team in Europe alongside Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich. We executed good collective efforts, we capitalized on crucial moments, and the second goal provided us with additional confidence. It’s unfortunate we couldn’t exploit the [man] advantage further.”
This match was the second of three encounters between Atletico and Barcelona within a span of ten days. Barça claimed a 2-1 victory in Saturday’s LaLiga clash in Madrid, Atletico won the Champions League first leg 2-0 on Wednesday, and the teams are set to face off again at the Metropolitano for the second leg on April 14.
“Football is wonderful because being clinical is essential, and today we were extremely clinical,” Simeone remarked. “We understood they play with a high line. We are a team that has consistently troubled them in nearly every match we’ve contested, always creating opportunities and finding the net.”
“It was tough; it’s not a coincidence they had won 22 out of 23 matches here [this season]…it’s a positive result, but they are an opponent who will undoubtedly challenge us on Tuesday.”
Álvarez’s free kick marked his ninth goal in the Champions League this season.
“I took five or six free kicks yesterday [in training] and I think I didn’t score one,” he shared with Movistar, “but the crucial one was today.”
