(Reuters) – Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone highlighted his side's resilience after they beat Barcelona 2-1 and climbed atop LaLiga on Saturday with their 12th straight win in all competitions.
Simeone acknowledged Barca were the better side for much of the game and highlighted his players' fighting spirit after they rallied from a goal down to pick up their first win away to the Catalans since 2006, five years before his arrival at the club.
"I'm very happy with the team's effort. We were humble enough to suffer and to defend against a team that plays very well. In the first half and I think until our goal they were far superior to us," Simeone told reporters.
"Then I think we started to find our feet a bit in the game, and we saw that we could compete in the game. The team managed to hold on."
Simeone pointed to his substitutes as the key to claiming the hard-fought victory against a Barcelona side who are now second, three points off the pace having played a game more.
The Argentine manager took off talisman Antoine Griezmann and brought on Alexander Sorloth up front in the 73rd minute, a decision that paid off as the Norwegian scored a last-gasp winner after a counter-attack.
"That's what a team is, when one player comes off and another player comes on and gives a response," Simeone said.
"We took Griezmann off early, which is difficult for me, but I knew that Sorloth had something that could make us come out from the back to hold the ball.
"I think the substitutions gave us strength. Some attacking situations that you can find on the counter-attack, an exquisite play, a great goal by Sorloth that gave us the chance to win a very difficult game."
Simeone also praised his goalkeeper Jan Oblak after his saves prevented Barca extending their lead after the break.
"We have a great goalkeeper who played a defining role in the match," he said.