Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone admits that their goalkeeper Jan Oblak kept them in the game last night against Real Madrid.
The Slovenian international made some terrific saves last night, especially in the first half, to help his side earn a 0-0 draw in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie at the Vicente Calderon.
Though he feels they had more of an influence in the game after the break, Simeone admits that Oblak’s heroics kept them in the game in the first half.
“The tie is still open. Madrid played better in the first half. We had a great goalkeeper in Jan Oblak who did well, especially with the Gareth Bale chance”, Simeone told UEFA.
“We responded in the second half and changed the game, playing in the areas where we needed to play.”
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However, he feels the tie is still up for grabs and the Argentine is expecting a spectacle in the second leg at the Bernabeu next week.
Simeone said that he was not surprised with the way Real Madrid played in the first half last night but stressed Atletico Madrid need to improve their intensity to stop Carlo Ancelotti’s men from repeating the performance in the return leg.
On being asked how he expects the second leg to pan out, Simeone said: “A match containing all the best things in football, that will make us fall in love with the sport again.
“We have to do what we did in the second half here. That is what we do well. It is normal that Real Madrid played like they did in the first half.
“We have to play with more intensity to avoid it happening again.”
Real Madrid are yet to beat Atletico Madrid in seven meetings this season and know that a failure to do so in the second leg might prove fatal for their Champions League hopes.
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