Diego Simeone says Atletico Madrid are ready to go all the way in the UEFA Champions League after his side survived a tense second leg to eliminate Barcelona and reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2017.
Atletico secured a 3-2 aggregate victory despite losing the second leg 2-1 at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Tuesday, having built their cushion with a commanding 2-0 win at Camp Nou in the first leg.
Barcelona came out aggressively, with Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres scoring inside the opening 24 minutes to level the tie on the night. Ademola Lookman’s strike gave Atletico the crucial edge, before Barcelona defender Eric Garcia was sent off for bringing down Alexander Sorloth as he ran through on goal, ending any realistic hope of forcing extra time.
A visibly emotional Simeone reflected on the achievement after the final whistle. “To play in a Champions League semi-final, how nice, how nice,” the Argentine coach said. “It’s been 14 years and honestly, seeing the team still competing really moves me. The players have changed, we’ve had to start over many times and yet here we are again among the top four in Europe.”
He also made clear his side are not simply happy to have reached the last four. “We’re ready. We’re going to go after what we’ve been chasing for many years,” Simeone added.
Simeone has led Atletico to two UEFA Champions League finals, in 2014 and 2016, both of which ended in defeat to city rivals Real Madrid.
Atletico will face Arsenal in the semi-finals after the Gunners secured their place with a 0-0 draw at the Emirates against Sporting CP on Wednesday, progressing 1-0 on aggregate. In the other semi-final, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) will take on Bayern Munich, who knocked out Real Madrid with a 4-3 aggregate win on Wednesday.
The first legs are scheduled for April 28 and 29, with return fixtures on May 5 and 6.
