Atletico coach Simeone shows trademark emotions stopping Inter’s winning run in Champions League

MADRID (AP) — Few do suffering and drama in the Champions League like Atletico Madrid and coach Diego Simeone.

Even while winning, as they did Wednesday 2-1 over Inter Milan, Simeone showed his wide repertoire of agonized and ecstatic emotions on the sideline dressed in trademark all-black suit, shirt and tie.

Atletico ended Inter’s perfect record of four straight wins in this Champions League when captain José María Giménez scored with a header late in stoppage time.

“He has great timing,” Simeone said of Giménez. “We needed a goal like that because it always looks good when a center back scores.”

A game between two teams that combined to lose four of the past 12 Champions League finals was settled by a goal just like the one that denied Atletico an elusive first title in 2014.

Giménez rose to meet an outswinging corner with a powerful header angled toward the bottom corner of the goal. Just as Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos did in stoppage time 12 seasons ago to send the final to extra time. Atletico would lose 4-1 that night in Lisbon and a furious Simeone came on the field during extra time.

This time, seeing his captain score sent Simeone on a joyous run down the touchline with both balled fists punching the air.

A half-hour earlier Simeone had been arguing in referee François Letexier’s face as the French official showed him a yellow card for disputing a decision. An Atletico attack was stopped because Inter defender Manuel Akanji was floored taking a ball to the face.

It was a classic show by the former Argentina midfielder who has lost no passion approaching 14 years in the job as perhaps the coach in European soccer who most sets and symbolizes his team’s personality.

If any team can take the pressure it is Atletico, and its defense had to absorb 17 attempts by Inter, including five that forced saves from goalkeeper Juan Musso.

Five of those attempts came in Inter’s whirlwind start to the game that Atletico punctuated by taking the lead in the ninth minute.

Even that did not come easy after the original goal by Julián Alvarez was ruled out for a possible handball by Álex Baena directing the ball back toward the danger area.

Atletico had to ensure a three-minute video review for Letexier to overturn his original decision and award the goal.

Inter swarmed over Atletico to start the second half, and Nicolò Barella’s looping shot bounced up off the crossbar minutes before Piotr Zieliński leveled the score with a low shot past Musso.

“There is a lot of disappointment,” Inter coach Christian Chivu said. “We played a great game.”

Atletico rose in the 36-team standings to 12th with nine points, likely heading to the knockout stages with trips next to PSV Eindhoven and Galatasaray, and a final home game against Bodo/Glimt.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer