Atletico Madrid's 3-2 victory over Liverpool at Anfield remains one of 2020's shock results, yet Diego Simeone has slammed those who suggest it was merely down to luck that Los Colchoneros found their way through the fortress that is the Merseyside club's home ground.
Jurgen Klopp's team were expected to take full advantage of Atleti's 2019/20 struggles, but that was not the case.
An incredible defensive gameplan and clinical finishing, as well as more than a helping hand from goalkeeper Jan Oblak, saw Los Rojiblancos through to the quarter-final, which is yet to be played.
"I think of a team that was 2-0 down at Anfield and that scored three goals, that's not luck," Simeone explained in an interview with the AFA.
"Liverpool are a tremendous team, but we knew we could hurt them.
"Against Liverpool we knew Alvaro Morata was injured and he could relapse.
"I thought to myself at 1-0 'how can I bring Morata on and then have extra time?'
"I though 'he'll be injured again, it would be suicide'.
"But in the end it went well as he scored."
One debate that continues to rumble on in Argentina is just who is the better player between Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona, but Simeone feels it's a subject which doesn't need an answer.
"They are totally different, one is a goalscoring machine who has made me suffer a lot in recent years while the other was Argentine football represented in a single person," he declared.
"Today it would seem that Messi is more mature, but they could certainly have played together.
"Adding Cristiano Ronaldo to that team would be more complicated, we would start to have gaps.
"I always say that if one doesn't track back it's fine and if two don't then it's difficult, but if three don't then it's impossible."
During Simeone's time in charge at Atleti, they have been defeated in two Champions League finals, both against rivals Real Madrid, yet Simeone looks at the two matches differently.
"The first Champions League final defeat was not a failure, but the second one was," he said.
"Failure means when you have an objective and you don't achieve it.
"In Lisbon we came from winning LaLiga, it had been an extraordinary season.
"Furthermore, Real Madrid had been the better team in 90 minutes.
"But they weren't in Milan."
foobiknpt
996
first goal was Adrian's error and if we took our chances they would've been eliminated easily. They scored 3 because of a goalkeeper's error and because we didn't take our chances. How is that not luck?
Rashnic/GOAT/CR7
503
Liverpool fans right now reading this news 😂😂😂😂
DanRash10
411
Its not luck, Liverpool underestimated Athletico Madrid but Athletico Madrid didn't give up... They believed in their self.. And they made it
Ernesta
400
It's not luck it's Adrian selling.....the game
Alkalinho
227
somehow I like Simeone's assessment of football. Its simple and logical without loosing sense.
Kevin22
204
LFC fans will say ATM's win was down to luck but I ask you, do you let a team get lucky three times? for me Simeone had the better strategy, knowing LFC will rattle them for 90mins, so all they had to do was defend and let the LFC players wear off in extra time and once LFC players tired, they took their chances, that's not luck that's a masterpiece
Nadan7
76
Simeone turned from Simeone to Simethree all in one night at Anfield
Zieasuz
8
Oh so now that's strategy? What if they conceded 5 before the full time whistle with all the missed chances, will that strategy had made sense?
Football is a game of chances. Atleti had seen that Liverpool were suffering in their low block. All they had to do is overload their own half and box because there are only two ways how LFC attack I.e. counter attack and crosses from the wings. LFC lacks creativity in midfield and you don’t have to be Einstein to gauge that. Simeone made your fullbacks suffer, Atletico rattled them, angered them. It was clear half way through the game that LFC doesn’t have answers when Hendo and Trent went aggressive on Atletico players. Simeone had you right where he wanted and then beat you at your own game I.e. counter-attack. You had no plan other than crossing and that was blunt. The crying face of Trent at the end underlined what I mean. He was useless in both legs. Anfield awaits my a**
phoenixstar
8
LFC fans will say ATM's win was down to luck but I ask you, do you let a team get lucky three times? for me Simeone had the better strategy, knowing LFC will rattle them for 90mins, so all they had to do was defend and let the LFC players wear off in extra time and once LFC players tired, they took their chances, that's not luck that's a masterpiece
yeah bro that's absolutely right but these LFC fans will never stop making noise ,
Kevin22
8
first goal was Adrian's error and if we took our chances they would've been eliminated easily. They scored 3 because of a goalkeeper's error and because we didn't take our chances. How is that not luck?
Don't blame Adrian, mistakes are part of the game, the second and third goal were hardly his fault, the players got weary and ATM took their chances which is exactly what they wanted, get a tired LFC into extra time, look at how Morata ran with the ball and after passing to Llorente, no one to close him down and the defenders obstructed Adrian's view, third goal, Morata again who isn't that fast of a player outruns LFC's defense and scores, even the best gk's concede such goals e.g Eto'o against Petr Cech, Simeone was at his best knowing a full flowing game with open spaces would get destroyed, so he told his guys defend for 90mins so they can get tired and we take our chances during extra time or pk's cause we've got Jan, that's not luck that's outsmarting your opponent, just like LFC outsmarted Barca last season, so did ATM, stop looking for people to blame for past issues and a bad day at the office, cause LFC's performance in extra time was poor.
Bacon-man
8
first goal was Adrian's error and if we took our chances they would've been eliminated easily. They scored 3 because of a goalkeeper's error and because we didn't take our chances. How is that not luck?
In football there is rarely any such thing as luck. I wouldn’t call that have a lucky Athletico win, I’d mainly look at Adrian for the errors, but after Adrian conceded the equaliser, Liverpool’s heads seemed to drop and this weak mindset creeped in. Athletico sensed this and did really well to put pressure on Liverpool and steal the tie away from them.
bababcdios
8
It's not luck it's Adrian selling.....the game
Oooops