After a 2-1 away victory against Alavés in La Liga, secured by Romero's late winner, Atlético Madrid coach Simeone spoke with Movistar+.

On the match

This venue has always been a tough one for us; it's always difficult to get a win here. We played well in the first half. The penalty disrupted our rhythm at the start of the second half, but we were the better side when it was 11 against 11. After they went down to ten men, we tried everything to score. Alavés defended very well. We brought on midfielders who could break through their defense, and that led to Cuti (Romero)'s magnificent goal, which brought us great joy and won us an important match.

On Baena's assist

Yes, he has incredible vision. We carefully managed the playing time of Jonathan and Álvarez, and Lookman and Baena, to ensure the team maintained its attacking pressure throughout the match. This is the effect we wanted to achieve.

On Le Normand's pulling habit

That's just how he plays; referees always pay extra attention to his actions. It's hard to determine what level of contact warrants a penalty, because pulling in the box is unavoidable and will continue to happen.

On Álvarez's form

I think he's in great form. He came on with great fighting spirit, eager to perform well and help the team. By the end of the match, he was still in excellent condition.

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