MADRID :Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone hailed his team’s faith and collective effort after their stunning 5-2 victory over Real Madrid in LaLiga on Saturday, a result that marked the first time in 75 years that Atletico had scored five goals against their city rivals.
"Real Madrid is one of the best teams in the world, and today we had to play a great game," Simeone told reporters.
"From the start, we knew where we could do damage, with breaks on the outside with Nico (Gonzalez), (Pablo) Barrios, Julian (Alvarez), Giuliano (Simeone)... pulling the centre-backs out and leaving (Alexander) Sorloth inside to create chances. I think that, beyond their two goals, the team did well."
Atletico had managed just one victory in their first six matches across all competitions and Simeone, now in his 14th season with the club, acknowledged the emotional weight of the result, shedding tears of joy on the bench in the final minutes.
"There are a lot of emotions inside," he said. "The season started off difficult and there's a lot of effort from a lot of people that you don't see, and it's been wonderful."
Simeone praised his side's approach, saying: "The collective work and the faith to do what we wanted to do stood out. We interpreted the match well, and our fans are very happy because we won against a great rival that conceded few goals."
The Argentine also singled out Alvarez, who scored twice and played a pivotal role in the victory, saying: "Julian is committed to the team, to the club, and he is very good. He has talent and works hard. He not only contributes offensively but he also works hard and is committed to the team to create good dynamics. We need him, we have to take care of him, and hopefully he can stay with the
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