Simeone says Atletico exposed Manchester United's high press

Diego Simeone framed Atletico Madrid's 2-0 win over Manchester United as a tactical job well done, with the damage starting inside 50 seconds. Pablo Barrios scored after Álex Baena chased a ball over the top, and Simeone said his side had targeted the first press and the space behind it. He also said they could hurt United on the wings.

Atletico's plan on the night

"We knew they would press high, they do that well, but we knew that if we beat that first press we could get into important positions. We knew we could hurt them on the wings," Simeone told metro.co.uk after Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United. He added on goal.com: "We had chances to go further ahead on the scoreboard." The quotes match what happened on the pitch. Atletico were direct early, found space wide and kept forcing United backwards.

Johnny Cardoso had a goal ruled out for handball in the dying moments of the first half, then the contest tilted further after the break. Leny Yoro received a straight red card for hauling down Jonathan David, and Ademola Lookman made it 2-0 on the rebound five minutes later. Simeone also said, "The team was always looking for more."

United's night after the red card

Michael Carrick said United had four big chances, including "Bruno's chance again", before the red card changed the flow. That is the honest part of the night for United, they did create openings. But Simeone's version of the game still fits the evidence better, because Atletico scored first, controlled the key moments and never let United settle into the press they wanted to use.

The result leaves both clubs on three points after two Champions League matches. Atletico have now won five straight games in all competitions since losing to Liverpool, and the latest one was built on a plan that worked almost immediately.