Following a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Arsenal in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final at the Metropolitano, Atletico Madrid players expressed a mix of satisfaction and a keen awareness of the challenge ahead. While there was a slight disappointment at not securing a lead to take to London, the team was pleased with their response after conceding a goal.
Antoine Griezmann, named man of the match, was optimistic about Atletico’s prospects. “My biggest dream is to reach the final,” he stated. “I’ve prepared a lot for this match and the second leg, and hopefully, we can achieve it.” He highlighted the team’s improved intensity and pressing in the second half as crucial. “That’s the way to go in the second leg. It’s going to be a great match to play. Conceding at the end of the first half hurts. We made two or three tactical adjustments to press better and shift our position, and that made the difference. Then our fans pushed us on.” Griezmann also expressed a personal determination to be more clinical in the return leg, noting, “I had three chances, but I couldn’t get them in the net, but I’ll definitely get them in the second leg.”
Marcos Llorente: ‘Whoever is more efficient will win’
Marcos Llorente echoed Griezmann’s sentiment about the need for greater efficiency. “Everything’s still up for grabs in the second leg. They took the first half and we took the second. That’s what we have to take away from this. We’ve made things very difficult for them,” he told MD. Llorente emphasized that missed chances come at a cost and stressed the importance of the approach seen in the second half: “The second half is the path we need to follow. We have to take more risks, going man-to-man and pressing high up the pitch. We need to be more precise in the final third, because that’s what makes the difference.” Looking ahead to the decisive second leg, Llorente described it as “another war,” predicting that the more efficient team would emerge victorious.
Johnny Cardoso: ‘We need the intensity of the second half’
Johnny Cardoso, who was substituted later in the match, also believed there was little separating the two teams. “I don’t see anyone as favourites. We have a lot of confidence in ourselves and we know we can go out there, play a great game, and qualify,” he explained. Cardoso acknowledged the desire for a more comfortable result at home but recognized the fine margins in Champions League semi-finals. “In the first half, we had chances, but we weren’t very clinical in front of goal. However, the second half was much better, with much more intensity and we created more chances, and we could have achieved a positive result.” He stressed the need to replicate the second-half intensity in the away leg, stating, “We need to go out with the same intensity we had in the second half, win the duels, be ourselves, enjoy the moment.”
Jan Oblak: ‘The power beat me on the penalty’
Goalkeeper Jan Oblak acknowledged the intensity of the match and the open nature of the tie heading into the second leg. “Intense game from both teams… 1-1, two penalties, all to play for in London. Everything is open.” Regarding the penalty awarded to Arsenal, he agreed with the referee’s decision after the VAR review. On the penalty he conceded, Oblak admitted, “Yeah, I think so [the power beat him]. I was close, I was on the right side. But he shot with maximum power. Unlucky.” He expressed frustration but shifted focus to the upcoming league match and the second leg. Oblak dismissed comparisons to the earlier 4-0 defeat to Arsenal, stating, “I hope and I think it will be a different game. We will do everything possible in order to reach the final.” He concluded by emphasizing the need for a “perfect game” in the return leg to secure a place in the final.
