Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has admitted that his team must improve defensively after their 2-1 defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League.
The Spanish side took an early lead through Marcos Llorente at Anfield but were unable to protect their advantage. Dominik Szoboszlai equalised before Alexis Mac Allister completed Liverpool’s comeback in the second half.
Simeone was pleased with the effort and overall performance of his players but expressed concern about the number of goals Atletico have conceded in recent matches.
The Argentine coach pointed to their recent defensive problems, noting that they conceded three goals against Athletic Bilbao, one against Sevilla and two against Villarreal before the Liverpool game.
According to Simeone, the goals conceded against Liverpool were largely the result of mistakes that Atletico need to eliminate.
Despite the defeat, Simeone said he was happy with the commitment shown by his players. He felt Atletico performed particularly well in the first half but struggled to maintain the same attacking level after the break.
“We need to work. The team needs to improve some important details,” Simeone said after the match.
Atletico created opportunities during the game but could not find another goal after Liverpool took the lead. Simeone also made tactical changes in the second half as he searched for a way back into the match.
