Simeone racks up touchline mileage as stubborn Atleti make City sweat

There are nights like these – touchlines like these – when somebody at Opta surely must seriously debate the mileage in tracking distance covered by managers.

Diego Simeone (8km) would not look out of place on one of their post-match stat packs – and that estimate is probably a little conservative in hindsight. Simeone was everywhere, everywhere but his own designated technical area.

It is never hard to see why Atletico Madrid are far greater than the sum of their parts under the Argentine. Irrespective of personnel in any given season, Atletico’s are a squad of players who punch up and bloody gilded noses. Just not on this occasion.

They were frustrating Manchester City from the off, however. Pep Guardiola watched his midfield – particularly Rodri – cede possession far too often when City needed to build pressure by drawing out the low block. And those lapses were largely Atletico’s doing.

City’s support started signposting towards timewasting from Jan Oblak within the first five minutes and it was always going to be that way. 

When no stoppage time was forthcoming at half-time, Guardiola turned to his bench aghast before darting down the tunnel.

The City boss was fidgety, as is often the way, but his opposite number is in a completely different realm. 

Dressing in the trademark all black, Simeone remained a good 15 yards down the touchline for much of the opening period, either coaching and micromanaging. 

Or just merely bemoaning the very existence of referee Istvan Kovacs. Either to the man himself or his fourth official. Guardiola, with enough to worry about himself, could only glance across quizzically.

Maybe Guardiola was onto something with Simeone in his press conference on the eve of this quarter-final. 

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