Diego Simeone has praised Atletico Madrid’s performance after they eased to a dominant 4-1 win over Club Brugge in the second leg of their Champions League playoff tie on Tuesday.
The Spanish side had moved past their Belgian counterpart thanks to a stunning hat-trick from Alexander Sorloth, to book their place in the Round of 16.
Both sides had played out an entertaining 3-3 draw in the first leg in Belgium last week, leaving the second leg as a crucial decider.
Atletico surged ahead in the 23rd minute when Sorloth controlled a long ball from goalkeeper Jan Oblak, held off the defender and fired past the opposing goalkeeper into the net.
Just like they did in the first leg, the visitors were level soon afterwards through Joe Ordonez, leaving the tie balanced on aggregate heading into the interval.
“I appreciate the team’s work. In the first half, we came up against a very good opponent, I’m not lying. They pressed us, they took time away from us. In the second half, we played a much better game in every way”, Simeone praised his side after the match.
Johnny Cardoso put Atletico back in front three minutes after the break, before Sorloth gave them a two-goal cushion in the 76th minute following an assist from substitute Ademola Lookman.
The Norwegian striker completed his hat-trick with three minutes to play, sending Atletico through to the Round of 16 on a 7-4 aggregate result.
“I’m very happy, there’s a lot of hard work behind these results, which are starting to be more positive than negative,” Simeone added.
“Many new players joined us last season and many more this season, so reinventing ourselves is never easy, and when you see the willingness and conviction of the substitutes when they come on, that moves me.”
Atletico Madrid have now reached the Champions League Round of 16 and will face either Liverpool or Tottenham Hotspur.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
