Diego Simeone: It was a good game... with an impressive Leo Messi

Diego Simeone: It was a good game... with an impressive Leo Messi

Simeone elogió el partido de Messi ante el Atlético / | Movistar+
EFE

The Atletico boss was happy with the point against Barça

However, he felt they could have done more on the counter

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone said after the 1-1 draw with Barcelona that he feels his team "is doing well" and added that it's a "shame" they were unable to take advantage of their counter-attacks in the second half.  

"Wonferful, another night of brilliant football, a good game, with each team with its own characteristics, an impressive Messi, who wasn't too tired after his travels like many expected. And an Atletico competing like in all the big games. We leave with the feeling that we're doing well and we want to keep competing like this moving forward," explained Simeone. 

Asked if he things his team lost two points (Luis Suarez levelled in the 82nd minute), Simeone explained that the first half from Atleti was "very good" and that they defended "really well" and created chances in which Marc-Andre ter Stegen was "decisive." 

"In the second half, after the first 15, 20 minutes, with the need to equalise, Barça attacked more, with more people, and we defended quite well. But I don't think we were able to take advantage of the counter-attacks to make the game we'd set up in the first half more comfortable," he said. 

Simeone insisted that the first half, 1-0 up thanks to Saul Niguez, was the game they'd imagined. 

"In the first half we felt comfortable because we played the game we wanted, we had chances, two more plus the goal, and they didn't create too much danger, save the first chance from Messi which Filipe sorted," he said. 

"And in the second half, with the more attacking football we're used to from Barcelona, we were unable to counter-attack. And that's the same, that we couldn't make things more comfortable."