Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone held his side to a 3-3 draw with Club Brugge at both venues, after his side dropped two points in Belgium. It means it will be top notch in the return leg next Tuesday at the Metropolitano.
Simeone’s side were unable to stop Brugge in the second half, and after the game he told MD that his team lacked efficiency in both areas, something he described as key to the Champions League. It’s a familiar line of thinking for Simeone, who called Brugge ‘the strongest team in the Champions League.
“There is always room for improvement in everything. All the teams there saw that, except Arsenal; they competed very well. They managed to take the lead, until we were beaten 2-0 and we trailed 3-2. They played well, they are a dynamic team. The strongest team in the Champions League. We knew we would not have an easy time, allowing us to take the lead with two mistakes to take the lead. get that equalizer at 3-3, too many passes in the middle, we knew it, but we didn’t stop.”
One good thing, too, was Marc Pubill’s performance.
“The team played well. Marc did a great job; we need players who can make decisions and respond effectively to what the opponents throw at them. I’m happy about that.”
Koke: “We have to be more focused”
Captain Koke Resurreccion also spoke to the media and committed to one of Brugge’s goals. All in all, he asked for more concentration on his part.
“We took the lead 2-0, but we couldn’t keep going. It was a rollercoaster, as it has been all year. We need to focus more, especially on set pieces. I lost number 7, they scored a goal on the rebound, and immediately after that, they scored again. We know how difficult it is to win at home to go to the Champions League, and we defend it in the Champions League, and we defend it at home in the Champions League, 2-0 I didn’t,” he told MD.
“Then we went on again, they equalized again. We know it’s a difficult field; Barcelona drew, and only Arsenal managed to win in this Champions League campaign. We have to pay attention to those details when we lead.”
But he was less convinced of the idea that Atletico Madrid lacked control.
“I don’t know if we failed to control ourselves. But they scored the second goal quickly. The team went on to win, Álex had a few chances. Then we conceded a goal. After that, they pushed forward with more players and equalized.”
Nahuel Molina and Marc Pubill in a fun sketch
One of the players who was struggling is Nahuel Molina, who scored all three goals on the field. The Argentinian is less than a week removed from a superb performance against Barcelona. Molina complained to the MD about their inability to hold on to leadership.
“That’s sad, because obviously we could have gone ahead and I think we were playing very well until we drew. The feeling is that the team worked hard and we have to wait for the second leg to do much better.”
Julián Álvarez on IG: “There are 90 minutes left at home. 💪”
🇦🇷🔴⚪️ pic.twitter.com/BnT7JwLakF
– Atlético Universe (@atletiuniverse) February 19, 2026
On the other hand, Pubill received a lot of praise as well.
“We came here to win and we knew it wouldn’t be easy, we are leaving with bitterness, we still have the second leg at home which I am sure we will win,” explained MD. “We will consider what we did wrong to improve and win that game in the second leg.”
Los Rojiblancos host Espanyol on Saturday night in La Liga, knowing they must win to keep the pressure on third-placed Villarreal – and avoid Real Betis to cut the gap to one point from fifth. The return leg is on Tuesday against Brugge, which means Simeone will have to limit his players’ minutes.
