(Reuters) – Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone was happy with his side’s defending in Tuesday’s 1-0 Champions League quarter-final first leg defeat at Manchester City but said they must get a bigger share of possession in the return leg if they are to advance.
Kevin De Bruyne’s 70th minute strike was the only goal in a game that featured few clear-cut chances, with Atletico failing to produce a single shot on target after spending much of the contest camped in their own half.
“In the first half we defended very well,” Simeone told reporters. “If you value the coordinated attacking, you also have to value the strong and unashamed defence.
“We have to improve, improve and try to have more of the ball. That comes with calmness, with the humility of first having a good collective defensive effort to continue in the tie and from there, play.
“I was taught to compete and we seek to compete to the end in any way we can.”
Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak said the tie was far from over.
“At 1-0, I don’t think the tie is closed,” Oblak said. “In Madrid we are going to have to do much more offensively, defensively we are going to have to be the same or better and only then can we qualify for the semi-finals.”
The second leg will be held at the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid next Wednesday.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
