Diego Simeone, the Atletico Madrid manager, backed defender Robin Le Normand after his slip that allowed Bayern Munich to score in Tuesday’s 0‑2 Champions League win in Spain.
The 54th minute saw Bayern take the lead after a miscommunication between Le Normand and David Hancko left the French‑Spanish defender tangled in his own pass, letting Lennart Karl pounce and finish. Simeone later said football is made of errors.
Can Atletico close the gap and challenge Bayern next season?
‘Football is made of mistakes,’ Simeone told reporters. ‘Most goals come from a defensive lapse, a loss of possession, a poorly defended corner… This one fell on us, but that’s the game.’
We know clashes with clubs like Bayern or Arsenal can expose us. They’re superior, so we must keep grinding to bridge the gap and compete over two legs, he said. ‘Our effort has to hit 120 % because 100 % rarely cuts it against Europe’s best.’ For my money, Atletico must boost its intensity if it hopes to rival the continent’s powerhouses.
Bayern assistant Aaron Danks, speaking in place of Vincent Kompany, praised the collective display and lauded young German Lennart Karl, the match’s opening scorer. ‘I’m thrilled with the team’s performance today. Our overall play was fantastic, both defensively as a unit and in creating attacking chances,’ he said.
He added, ‘There’s been a lot of buzz around Karl lately. For a youngster, he’s shown great character and mental strength, exuding confidence. His performance was superb and his beautiful goal made the difference.’
Danks also highlighted French defender Dayot Upamecano, calling him underrated. ‘Upamecano’s contributions in character and personality are fantastic. His performances have been excellent; he’s a nightmare for attackers. I see it daily in training when our top forwards battle him, and on match day there’s no change.’