(Reuters) – Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone was pleased with his team’s defensive performance after a last-gasp 1-0 win at Celta Vigo in LaLiga on Thursday but knows they must create more chances.
Atletico managed to keep another clean sheet to consolidate their status as the best defensive side in the competition, conceding only three goals in seven games this season.
Simeone’s side managed two shots on target late in the game to rescue all three points courtesy of Julian Alvarez’s goal at Celta, who had not lost at home for seven months.
“Today we took the three points with great defensive patience against opponents who haven’t lost since February,” Simeone told reporters.
“We’ve been working well, but we need to improve our attacking. In the first half we performed well in defence but we didn’t create opportunities to put our players in front of goal.
“There’s a defensive performance that is much better, we still haven’t found that area where we can play better offensively.”
The Argentine manager was delighted with the performances of Alvarez, forward Angel Correa and midfielder Rodrigo Riquelme, who came off the bench.
“In the second half the substitutions made us better, Rodrigo Riquelme, Julian, (Angel) Correa… they were feeding us more in a game that both sides looked like we were going to have chances,” Simeone said.
“Luckily, in the end (assisting Antoine) Griezmann and Julian found each other.”
Atletico host city rivals Real Madrid in LaLiga on Sunday.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City, editing by Ed Osmond)
