Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone names the ‘best team in La Liga’

Diego Simeone explained wherefore helium rates Barcelona arsenic the ‘best squad successful La Liga’ aft his Atletico Madrid broadside drew with arch-rivals Real Madrid.

Real Madrid held connected to apical spot successful the Spanish top-flight arsenic Kylian Mbappe’s second-half extremity cancelled retired Julian Alvarez’s first-half punishment astatine the Bernabeu.

Atletico were awarded a arguable punishment pursuing a VAR cheque aft Aurelien Tchouameni was adjudged to person fouled Samuel Lino.

Former Manchester City guardant Alvarez audaciously chipped the shot down the mediate past the diving Thibaut Courtois to soundlessness the location crowd.

A derby triumph would person sent Atletico Madrid apical of La Liga but Mbappe scored an equaliser soon aft the interval with his 16th league extremity of the season.

Jude Bellingham’s blocked changeable gave Mbappe the accidental to level and the England midfielder continued to endanger arsenic Real Madrid chased a winner, hitting the crossbar with a header and seeing a changeable saved by Jan Oblak.

The people remained 1-1, however, leaving Real Madrid conscionable 1 constituent supra Atletico Madrid successful the La Liga array and 5 up of Barcelona, who tin chopped the spread erstwhile they sojourn Sevilla connected Sunday.

‘I inactive importune that Barcelona is the champion squad successful La Liga,’ Simeone said aft the Madrid derby.

‘They onslaught precise well, they person unthinkable velocity successful their players, and they play precise good arsenic a team. Let’s spot if they triumph tomorrow. It’ll beryllium amusive to spot the journalists bask this choky contention astatine the top.’

Discussing his team’s show successful the Madrid derby, Simeone added: ‘I deliberation successful the archetypal half, we had a precise bully archetypal half.

‘We weren’t arsenic objective successful the last metres to instrumentality vantage of the chances that we had. We could person taken those better.

‘In the 2nd half, it started aboriginal with their goal, they played much intensely successful the 2nd half.

‘After 20 minutes oregon so, we had much important chances, Julian, Llorente twice, and successful the extremity it ended with a gully wherever some teams astir apt consciousness that we could person taken more.’

Asked whether helium felt it was a lawsuit of 2 points dropped alternatively than a constituent gained, Simeone added: ‘I respect each opinions. I spot what I see, what I said before.

‘We could’ve taken our chances, our counters, controls adjacent to the box, a small better, with much clarity arsenic we person successful different games.

‘In the 2nd half, it was a antithetic crippled and they pushed more. Their goal, past they deed the woodwork. And it ended with that situation.

‘There were chances to instrumentality the game, but we couldn’t bash it clearly. That meant that we had to draw. Obviously, we had the feeling that we could’ve won it for overmuch of the game.’

Real Madrid brag Carlo Ancelotti, meanwhile, felt his squad ‘deserved more’ and refused to sermon Atletico’s arguable penalty.

‘I deliberation we deserved more,’ helium said. ‘It was a precise bully crippled successful the 2nd half. The archetypal fractional was wholly different.

‘We came retired with bully feelings, particularly successful the 2nd half. The punishment concern affected the team. We played excessively dilatory before.

‘In the 2nd fractional we took vantage of the width of the field. It was a close, competitory match. As I said, we came retired of the lucifer with a draw, but encouraged.’

Real Madrid present crook their attentions to a mouth-watering Champions League play-off clash against Manchester City.

Atletico Madrid, already safely done to the knockout stages, look Celta Vigo adjacent weekend.

For much stories similar this, check our athletics page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest quality connected Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

MORE: Paul Merson rates Arsenal’s Premier League chances aft getting ‘destroyed by Newcastle’

MORE: Manchester United winger Antony named MVP again but criticises Real Betis teammates aft defeat

MORE: Arsenal marque immense request arsenic Real Madrid crippled William Saliba transfer