Atlético de Madrid secured their place in the Champions League round of 16 thanks to their victory against Salzburg. Simeone's team won 1-4 in a very comfortable match for them, marked by early goals from Giuliano Simeone and Antoine Griezmann.
After the match, as usual, Diego Pablo Simeone spoke to the media. The Argentine gave his perspective on the match and made clear what the keys to victory were.
A dominant start to the match
After the match, Simeone didn't hide his happiness with the team's great performance from the first minute. "What I'm most proud of is how the team played the match, we didn't see anything other than what we came to look for. The team went for the match right away, a very high pace in 30 minutes, where we were very superior, with a lot of attacking force. That's where we set the course for the match," commented the Argentine coach.
He also highlighted the importance of the changes made in the second half, ensuring they brought freshness to the team. "The changes gave us energy to keep regenerating the team and have it ready. We have a lot of matches and we need to be strong," explained the red-and-white coach.
The halftime message: don't lower the intensity
Despite the 0-3 scoreline at the end of the first half, Simeone insisted that his team shouldn't relax against a dangerous opponent like RB Salzburg. "I told them we needed to keep up the same pace, that they had shown at the end of the first half that they play well," he noted.
The coach praised the Austrian team's play and warned about their ability to react. "They have a joyful, lively football, a lot of young people. When they got encouraged, they played well and we couldn't let them get into the match. For that, we had to be serious," he stated.
Griezmann, the key to the match
One of the standout names of the match was Antoine Griezmann, who excelled with a great performance. Simeone didn't hesitate to praise the Frenchman's performance: "He surely played one of the best matches in recent months. Very precise, forceful in the game, close to scoring, he could have scored more... We need him like this. He's a very important player for us and we hope he can maintain what he gives us."