Koke's reply to Guardiola and Simeone's pride in his plan: "You have to value defense without shame"

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The first thing Simeone did as soon as he sat in the Etihad press room was apologize.

He was apologizing for his broken voice, after a 90-minute battle trying to correct his team's movements with his throat.

Trying to solve the constant problems that his players encountered, against a City that gave no respite.

“They are possibly the best team in the world.

But with humility, we will compete.

Until where?

As far as it goes, ”the Argentine maintained with that thread of voice, satisfied in a certain way for being able to appear within a week with options of being able to storm the semifinals.

At least, that's what the 1-0 first leg says.

Beyond the blank bullet that Llorente wasted, Atlético did not shoot on goal during a demanding first assault on the wildest side of the city of Manchester, where football usually spills with the same intensity as the rain.

Even so, Manchester City, the undisputed dominator of the night, only fired twice.

One, yes, entered.

“They are very good at this, they have been together for many years.

I didn't expect to win 3-0 or 4-0.

I know the team we're up against, I know they have a lot of patience and we didn't want to concede too many chances either", summarized

, who had already experienced the rojiblanca sting in 2016.

Guardiola also referred to Atlético's 5-5 system: "In prehistory, today and in 100,000 years it is very difficult to attack a 5-5".

A statement to which, before getting on the plane back to Madrid,

, the rojiblanco captain, replied through his Instagram account, with: "In love with your story since prehistory."

A message written next to the Atlético shield and a: "Proud to be from Atlético".

It is clear that the fuse of the second

is already lit.

Because

and

had to assume a strange role on the pitch.

They dressed as left winger and right winger, respectively, to contain City's offensive torrent.

A possession of 70% that, however, hardly translates into occasions.

They were an indispensable part of the shield devised by Simeone.

"If you value the choral attack, you also have to value the strong and shameless defense", claimed the Argentine coach, who contained the offensive flow of a team, Guardiola's, who has scored 70 goals in the Premier and 24 in the Champions.

The memory of Mourinho

There was debate about that wall ahead of Oblak that Simeone raised to get out of the Etihad alive.

An approach that kept City at bay for more than an hour.

In 2014,

's Chelsea , already in the semi-finals, faced him with a similar tactical battle at the Vicente Calderón that ended goalless.

Everything would be resolved at Stamford Bridge, in favor of the rojiblancos.

This time, the tie will be decided in Madrid.

"I hope humility and understand what the path is," added the Argentine coach, trying to rescue a last thread of voice.

Who returned to witness the match from the bench was

.

For the third consecutive night in the Champions League, all three against teams from Manchester, the Uruguayan, who had just signed a double against Alavés, did not step on the grass to lend a hand to his teammates.

One more chapter for a season with unknown dyes for the Uruguayan.

Although Simeone did not exhaust the changes, the 35-year-old striker returned to the locker room with his boots unstained.

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