Atletico must move on from UCL exit as Barca looms
Diego Simeone acknowledged the feelings of frustration and "injustice" after Atletico Madrid's painful UEFA Champions League loss, but urged his side to move on with a huge match against Barcelona in LaLiga looming.
Atletico had scored a first-minute goal to level the aggregate score against Real Madrid in the second leg of their Round of 16 tie, with a penalty shootout needed to separate the teams.
The video assistant referee (VAR) ruled Julian Alvarez's slip caused a double touch to rule out one of Atletico's penalties, with Carlo Ancelotti's side ultimately prevailing to reach the next round.
Atletico now faces another big match as it hosts Barcelona in LaLiga, with both sides fighting for the title in a tightly contested race for top spot with Real Madrid, which moved to the top of the table with a 2-1 victory over Villarreal on Sunday (AEDT).
"The only power I have is to work and ensure the team keeps competing," Simeone said ahead of hosting Barca.
"I understand our fans and the feeling everyone has is frustration, anger and injustice."
Simeone was furious with the referee's decision to disallow Alvarez's penalty as Madrid won the shootout 4-2, with Antonio Rudiger scoring the winner after Marcos Llorente had struck the woodwork.
"I'm not going to comment further on the previous match. We have to focus on the upcoming clash," Simeone added.
"We have a great opportunity against a team that plays very well. We’re focused on ourselves and on showing the fans that we can keep competing."
The match against Barcelona could be a defining moment in Simeone's season. Barcelona is second in the standings with 57 points, one ahead of Atletico, which has played a game more.
Atletico won the reverse fixture in LaLiga against Barcelona 2-1, having lost its previous five against Barcelona. It has not completed a league double over the Blaugrana since 2005-2006.
Simeone's side has confidence on home soil though as it has not lost any of its 14 LaLiga home games this term, winning 10 of them.
Barcelona is on a six-game winning streak of its own in the top-flight, and would move back to the top of the table with a win.
"It’s always important to maintain the right distance in the standings as the season progresses. For our chances, this match is about winning and closing the gap. If they win, they move closer to the title," Simeone said.
"Everything about them [Barcelona] concerns us. They are a very complete team, a brilliant side, and they’ve managed this past week well."
