Diego Simeone, the manager of Atletico Madrid, praised his team’s determination and teamwork after their remarkable 5-2 win over Real Madrid in LaLiga on Saturday. This victory marked the first time in 75 years Atletico scored five goals against their city rivals.
“Real Madrid is among the world’s best teams, and today we had to deliver a great performance,” Simeone stated to reporters.
“From the beginning, we identified where we could be effective, utilizing wide plays with Nico (Gonzalez), (Pablo) Barrios, Julian (Alvarez), Giuliano (Simeone)… stretching the center-backs and keeping (Alexander) Sorloth inside to create opportunities. Besides their two goals, I believe our team excelled.”
Atletico had secured only one win in their initial six matches in all competitions. Simeone, now in his 14th season with the club, felt the emotional weight of the result, shedding tears of joy on the bench in the final moments.
“There’s a lot of emotion,” he expressed. “The season started tough, and there’s significant effort from many unseen people. It’s been wonderful.”
Simeone highlighted his team’s strategy, saying: “The collective effort and belief in our plan were key. We understood the match well, and our fans are thrilled because we triumphed over a formidable opponent known for conceding few goals.”
The Argentine also commended Alvarez, who scored twice and significantly contributed to the win, saying: “Julian is dedicated to the team and the club. He has talent and works hard. He contributes not only offensively but also through his hard work and commitment to the team, creating positive dynamics. We need him, we must take care of him, and hopefully, he’ll remain at the club for many years.”
The exhilarating match at a vibrant Metropolitano stadium, with nearly 70,000 fans eagerly watching, saw Atletico rebound from being 2-1 down to achieving a memorable victory, moving them to fourth place with 12 points. Real Madrid remains at the top of LaLiga with 18 points, two ahead of Barcelona, who have a game in hand.
Atletico’s aggressive start paid off when Robin Le Normand scored with a header in the 14th minute, but Kylian Mbappe equalized with a powerful strike in the 25th minute. Arda Guller then volleyed in a Vinicius Jr cross 11 minutes later, putting the visitors ahead.
Alexander Sorloth’s header in added time before halftime boosted Atletico, and they regained the lead five minutes into the second half when Alvarez converted a penalty after Guler’s high boot caught Nico Gonzalez’s face in the box.
Alvarez extended their lead in the 64th minute with a stunning free-kick into the top corner, and substitute Antoine Griezmann secured the victory with a quick counterattack in added time, igniting the Metropolitano crowd with joy.
Real Madrid, having conceded only three goals in their initial six league victories, were humbled by a superior Atletico, who dominated the game and exploited weaknesses against high balls, as Atletico’s first two goals came from crosses.
“It was a tough loss, and we must learn from it,” Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso said in a press conference. “We weren’t good enough and made too many mistakes, but this loss can be constructive moving forward. It’s early in the season, and much lies ahead.”
