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Diego Simeone was delighted for “humble” Atletico Madrid matchwinner Jose Maria Gimenez after the defender’s heroics against Inter.
Gimenez headed home from Antoine Griezmann’s superb corner in the 93rd minute of Wednesday’s Champions League game at the Metropolitano.
Atletico are now unbeaten in 10 home matches across all competitions this term, while they sit 12th in the Champions League standings.
Julian Alvarez opened the scoring early on. In fact, since the start of the 2023-24 season, Atletico have scored more goals in the opening 10 minutes of Champions League matches than any other team (eight).
However, with Piotr Zielinski levelling for last season’s runners-up, Atletico were forced to dig deep for victory. Timed at 92 minutes and 31 seconds, Gimenez’s effort was the latest winning goal scored against Inter in a Champions League match.
“Jose is a crucial player, one of our captains,” Simeone said of the defender, who missed the start of the season with a hamstring injury.
“We need him like this; he brings the same energy to the team as other important players.
10 – @9julianalvarez has scored ten goals in 14 #UCL appearances, becoming only the third @atletienglish player to reach double figures in goals in the competition, after Antoine Griezmann (39) and Saúl Ñíguez (11). Ram. pic.twitter.com/H3yBcjakBA
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) November 26, 2025
“We need him in the best possible shape so he can continue giving us what he does.
“I looked at him and said, ‘What a fantastic goal!’ He’s a fighter, a hard worker, a very humble guy, aware of what the team and his personal life mean to him, and we need him; he’s one of our leaders. We’re so happy he was able to score such a great goal.”
But Simeone also had praise for his whole squad.
“I’m absolutely thrilled with the group, the team, and our understanding of how we played,” he added.
“The first half was one thing; the game was long, and we faced a tough opponent who needed us to break through their pressure. To hold firm defensively and launch counter-attacks. In the second half, we displayed a completely different level of play. We navigated both halves brilliantly.”
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