Atlético de Madrid’s draw towards Membership Brugge left blended emotions. The crimson and white workforce took the lead on two events, however ended up giving up a outcome that compelled the tie to be determined on the Metropolitano. After the match, Diego Pablo Simeone analyzed the event of the match and defined the keys to the tie.
The Argentine coach assured that the duel responded to the deliberate script. “It was the match we imagined,” he defined within the interview with Ricardo Sierra on Movistar Plus+. Simeone highlighted the depth of the rival, which he outlined as probably the most bodily and dynamic groups within the competitors.
In the course of the first half, Atlético managed to regulate the tempo. The workforce was stable and managed to get forward, managing the match instances nicely. Nevertheless, the coach acknowledged that there was an absence of precision in some counterattacks that would have prolonged the lead earlier than the break.
A nasty second half
The sport modified after the restart. Bruges discovered the aim very early and gained confidence. “The second half was not the identical as the primary,” Simeone admitted. The preliminary aim altered the state of affairs and compelled Atlético to readjust in a context of higher strain from the workforce and the native followers.
Even so, the crimson and white workforce reacted. After the tie, they took the lead once more and even had a transparent likelihood to extend the lead in a head-to-head match. For the coach, this response demonstrates the aggressive nature of the workforce in an advanced subject such because the Janbreydel Stadion.

Every thing is set within the Metropolitan
The ultimate tie got here within the closing minutes after an motion that Simeone himself described as “a poor defensive interpretation.” Bruges took benefit of the error and left the rating tied, a outcome that the coach thought-about honest as a result of probabilities generated by each groups.
Regardless of every little thing, the Argentine left happy with the angle of his gamers. “The workforce competed very nicely. It is not simple right here,” he pressured, insisting on the problem of enjoying as a customer towards a younger, intense rival with nice vitality through the 90 minutes like Ivan Leko’s workforce.
Draw within the first leg. The second leg stays at house. pic.twitter.com/Y2hieul1ML
— Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) February 18, 2026
The tie is now open and will likely be determined on the Metropolitan Stadium. El Cholo trusts within the momentum of the sector issue and the assist of the followers to take the ultimate step. Atlético will search to claim its energy at house to shut the move in a match that seems decisive for the crimson and white aspirations on this Champions League.



























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