Diego Simeone reaffirmed his perception that Barcelona is the perfect workforce in La Liga after Atletico Madrid’s hard-fought 1-1 draw in opposition to Actual Madrid on the Bernabeu.
Actual Madrid maintained their place on the prime of the desk after Kylian Mbappe’s second-half equalizer canceled out Julian Alvarez’s audacious first-half penalty. Atletico had been awarded the spot-kick following a VAR evaluation, which deemed Aurelien Tchouameni’s problem on Samuel Lino to be a foul.
Alvarez, previously of Manchester Metropolis, coolly chipped the ball down the center, leaving Thibaut Courtois stranded and silencing the house crowd.
A victory would have propelled Atletico to the summit of La Liga, however Mbappe responded early within the second half together with his sixteenth league aim of the season. Jude Bellingham performed an important position within the buildup, together with his blocked shot organising Mbappe’s end.
The England midfielder continued to be a risk as Actual pressed for a winner, rattling the crossbar with a header and forcing a key save from Jan Oblak.
The sport led to a stalemate, leaving Actual Madrid only one level forward of Atletico and 5 away from Barcelona, who may slim the hole with a win at Sevilla.
After the match, Simeone maintained his stance on Barcelona’s superiority. “I nonetheless insist that Barcelona is the perfect workforce in La Liga,” he said. “They assault nicely, have unbelievable velocity, and play as a workforce. Let’s see in the event that they win tomorrow—it’ll be fascinating to see how the journalists react to this title race.”
Reflecting on the derby, Simeone believed his workforce had a robust begin however lacked sharpness within the ultimate third. “The primary half was excellent for us, however we weren’t scientific sufficient with our possibilities,” he admitted. “We may have carried out higher in these moments.”
He acknowledged Actual’s resurgence after halftime, notably after Mbappe’s aim. “They performed with extra depth, however we nonetheless had massive possibilities—Julian, Llorente twice. In the long run, it was a draw that most likely left each groups feeling they might have received.”
When requested if Atletico had dropped two factors slightly than gained one, Simeone remained diplomatic. “I respect all opinions. We had our alternatives, however we weren’t as exact as in different video games. Actual Madrid pushed tougher within the second half, hit the woodwork, and ultimately, the draw was honest.”
Actual Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti, however, felt his aspect ought to have taken all three factors. “We deserved extra,” he asserted. “The primary half was sluggish, however within the second, we improved considerably. The penalty affected us, however we tailored nicely.”
With La Liga’s title race heating up, Actual Madrid now shift focus to their upcoming Champions League conflict in opposition to Manchester Metropolis, whereas Atletico put together for a home battle with Celta Vigo.
