Simeone asks for patience with Julián Álvarez, dedicates United win to Koke

Some wins get celebrated with goals, and some get celebrated with gestures. Atlético Madrid's victory over Manchester United had a bit of both, but in the post-match press conference, Diego Simeone chose to talk about people before numbers. And the first name he brought up was Julián Álvarez.

The forward started the match at the Metropolitano and played 71 minutes, during which he came close to scoring. When he was substituted, the crowd responded with a mix of applause and whistles, which isn't entirely surprising: part of the fan base still hasn't forgotten that he tried to leave the club over the summer. Asked about that relationship between Julián and the supporters, the coach didn't dodge the subject.

"Fans always want to see the best version of a player, and Julián is giving his best. Against Alavés he gave his best, and today he came close to scoring. He's getting closer to what we all want and what the fans want to see. We need him"Diego Simeone

Before diving into the on-field analysis, the Cholo had words for a difficult personal moment inside the locker room: the death of Koke's mother. He was asked whether that might have affected the team during the match, and his answer was more human than tactical.

"We know how important Koke is as a person within this club. It was a difficult moment for everyone. He has a wonderful family around him. We're standing by him emotionally on this day. With the lovely family he has around him, he'll get through this moment"Diego Simeone

Barrios, Cardoso and a dream start

Pablo Barrios was another of the night's standout names, scoring the opener inside the first minute. Simeone was cautious when discussing his physical development, making clear the club is managing his workload carefully match by match.

"We're trying to manage his minutes in the best possible way. Every day he's better, he's getting stronger, and we hope to manage the number of games he plays. He needs to be looked after, and we're going to look after him so he can give his best version all year," the coach explained.

In midfield, Johnny Cardoso also shone, playing the full 90 minutes and even having a first-half goal ruled out for a handball by Marcos Llorente. The American has had a 2025-26 season marked by injuries, but he's now strung together four straight starts across all competitions, spanning both sides of the FIFA break. For Simeone, the jump in form started to show in the match against Real Sociedad.

"He's in a really good moment. In the game against Real Sociedad he started to show a high level. He's the player we went out to sign," he summed up.

On the match itself, the coach stressed how important it was to go ahead so quickly on the scoreboard: the final score was 2-0 against a United side going through a tough stretch under Michael Carrick. "We had the good fortune of starting the game on the right foot. The play for the first goal was really nice. We knew that if we could apply that early pressure, we could create some very important chances. We had chances to extend the lead. So did they, but overall I think we played the better match," he analyzed.

And there was no way to leave out a mention of Cristian 'Cuti' Romero, one of the names Atlético had closely tracked in the past. "We wanted him two years ago. He's a different kind of player. He has stature, personality and leadership built on humility and respect for his teammates. Game by game he's showing the player he is," Simeone closed.