Diego Simeone Rues Missed Chances as Atletico Drop Points

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone praised his players despite a disappointing 1-1 home draw against Villarreal in LaLiga.

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone expressed admiration for his players despite the team's disappointing 1-1 home draw against Villarreal in LaLiga on Saturday. Simeone believed his team deserved a better outcome, given their dominant performance throughout the game. Atletico Madrid fought back from a goal down, with Samuel Lino's second-half strike canceling out Villarreal's opener, scored by Gerard Moreno from a penalty.

Diego Simeone praised his team's attitude and commitment, stating, “I think we were pretty much in control throughout the game. We played with the right attitude and commitment, aiming to win the game.” He acknowledged that Villarreal's penalty in the first half was a setback, but felt that his team responded well in the second half. Simeone said, “The first half went quite well. They had the penalty and little more. In the second half we played against a team that defended well, with a lot of players and in an organised manner, waiting to counter-attack because they have a lot of fast players and they take advantage of that speed.”

The match ends with a draw. pic.twitter.com/dCxIhCFnTL

— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) January 25, 2025

Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid side was left to ponder what could have been after they failed to secure a win in their last two league games. Reflecting on the game, Simeone said, “We found an equaliser and we continued to play the way we wanted to, going forward. We had more than one situation where we could have won the game. But it wasn't to be...”

Atletico Madrid's recent slump has resulted in them losing the LaLiga lead to Real Madrid. Real Madrid now has 46 points and holds a one-point advantage over second-placed Atletico. Furthermore, Real Madrid has a game in hand and could potentially extend their lead when they face bottom-side Valladolid later on Saturday.