Diego Simeone says it takes ‘big balls’ to defend as Atletico Madrid did in Europa League draw with Arsenal

Antoine Griezmann scored an 82nd-minute goal to cancel out Alexandre Lacazette’s header, on a night when Atletico faced a lot of pressure

Atletico Madrid defended doggedly against Arsenal with 10 men (Getty Images)

Diego Simeone said it takes “big balls” for 10 men to defend like they did in Atletico Madrid’s defiant 1-1 Europa League semi-final draw at Arsenal, but still said the tie was in the balance after a match they had to “survive”.

The Argentine had been sent off early on having reacted to a 10th-minute red card for Sime Vrsaljko, but he was reluctant to go further than saying referees “make mistakes” and have a “difficult job”, although he added: “It is a European semi-final, it’s not a French league match.”

Antoine Griezmann scored an 82nd-minute goal to cancel out Alexandre Lacazette’s header, on a night when Atletico faced a lot of pressure in what was Arsene Wenger’s last European home game at the Emirates.

“During 90 minutes, important sensations went through my body,” Simeone said. “These players of Atletico Madrid are heroes to resist like that during the whole season. To have 16 or 17 outfield players, to resist 80-plus minutes is tremendous. Next week the stadium has to explode with positive energy, we can play well or badly but you don’t say this everywhere. Away to Arsenal against a great team, spectacular coach I have goosebumps thinking about next week.

“This team works incredibly hard over many years on their structure. I remembered games away to Barcelona losing [Luis] Filipe after half an hour, [Fernando] Torres in the Champions League quarter-final first leg for a foul on the halfway line. To come to a fantastic stadium like this it is the best thing that football has. To defend, defend defend you don’t have any idea how hard it is to defend.

“The team has to have huge balls to defend for more than 80 minutes.”

Of French referee Clement Turpin, Simeone said: “I am very respectful with the referees, everyone makes mistakes, everything goes very quickly and the decisions are very impactful. The ref understood what he did and we had to survive in the Europa League.

“I try to be transparent, we all have a difficult job, but it is a European semi-final, it’s not a French league match.”

Simeone was not going to get complacent ahead of the second leg, though.

“It’s 50% for both teams, Arsenal created a lot of chances. We created one chance in the first half with Griezmann, then the goal. Arsenal have talent, patience, they know how to find holes in our defence. Tonight is a big memory for Atletico’s record in European football.”