O coach Diego Simeone got emotional when talking about his love for Atlético de Madrid after the 700th game ahead of Atleticanos, this Saturday (23), after the victory with two late goals to beat the 2-1 at the Metropolitano, in Madrid, for the 14th round of LaLiga.
Alavés took the lead at the start of the game, with a penalty, but Antoine Griezmann equalized in the final stretch of the second half, also with a penalty, before Alexander Sorloth, who came on in the final stage, scored shortly before stoppage time to guarantee the victory. three points and move up to second place.
“I live in the present, we are having fun, the boys are working very responsibly. I’m calm, at peace, I’m in a place that… I love where I am and that’s it, bye,” he told DAZN, his voice breaking before handing over the microphone and leaving, after his fifth consecutive victory in all competitions.
With the match heading towards a draw, Sorloth scored with a powerful shot that led Simeone to run down the entire side of the field and celebrate with the Norwegian striker. The coach, in fact, received a yellow card, but he didn’t complain and said he had spoken to Sorloth the night before about how he could make an impact on the game.
“We speak clearly, we explain what we need from him and how important he is. By chance, the goddess of fortune appeared, Rodrigo de Paul’s great vision and a goal. In a short time, he gave us a lot of quality, which is what matters”, declared the coach.
Sorloth was one of two half-time substitutes, along with Simeone’s son Giuliano, whose second-half performance earned him the man of the match award.
“The first half started with a penalty that made it difficult for us to progress in the match. The opponent scored and retreated, the spaces became smaller. The team looked cold. In the second half, we warmed up. The boys who came in did well, they gave us speed in the final stretch and strength in the area… Then came the penalty and Sorloth’s goal. Last year we were 2-0 up easily, they scored, and the final score was tight. This time they found the goal early. In the second half, we created more chances and were rewarded with an important victory”, he added.
