MADRID (AP) – Few people experience as much pain and drama in the Champions League as Atlético Madrid and manager Diego Simeone.
Even during wins, like Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Inter Milan, Simeone displayed a wide repertoire of emotions, from pain to ecstasy, on the sideline wearing his trademark all-black suit, shirt and tie.
Atlético captain Jose María Jimenez’s header in stoppage time ended Inter’s perfect run of four successive Champions League wins.
“He has great timing,” Simeone said of Jimenez. “We needed a goal like that. It’s always good for a centre-back to score a goal.”
The match between two teams who have lost four of the last 12 Champions League finals was decided by just such a goal. In 2014, he stopped Atlético’s elusive first title.
Jimenez rose to meet the outswinging corner and fired a powerful angled header into the bottom corner of the goal. Just as Sergio Ramos of Real Madrid forced the final into extra time in stoppage time 12 seasons ago. Atlético ended up losing 4-1 in Lisbon that night, and a furious Simeone appeared on the pitch for extra time.
This time, when Simeone saw the captain’s score, he ran down the touchline with both fists in the air.
Thirty minutes earlier, Simeone had argued to the face of referee François Letexier when the French official was shown a yellow card for disputing a decision. Atlético’s attack was halted when Inter defender Manuel Akanji received the ball in the face and fell to the floor.
It was a classic show of passion from the former Argentina midfielder, who has been in the job for almost 14 years as perhaps the most defining and emblematic coach in European football.
If any team could withstand this pressure, it was Atlético, whose defense had to absorb 17 attempts by Inter, including five where goalkeeper Juan Musso was forced to make saves.
Five of those tries came after Inter’s dizzying start to the game, with Atlético taking the lead in the ninth minute before the break.
Julián Álvarez’s first goal came after the possibility of a handball was ruled out by Alex Baena, who returned the ball into the danger area, and it wasn’t easy either.
Atlético needed to secure a three-minute video review for Letexier to overturn the initial decision and award the goal.
Inter dominated Atlético at the start of the second half, with Piotr Zielinski leveling the score with a low shot past Musso minutes before Nicolo Barella’s looping shot bounced off the crossbar.
Inter coach Cristian Chivu said: “It’s very disappointing.” “We played a great game.”
Atlético move up to 12th place out of 36 teams with nine points and are likely to qualify for the knockout stages with next trips against PSV Eindhoven and Galatasaray and a final home game against Bodo/Glimt.
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