Upsets at Champions League no big deal, claims Simeone

Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone insists it should come as no surprise to see teams recording shock Champions League comebacks this season.

On Tuesday, Ajax stunned holders Real Madrid with a 4-1 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu that sent them into the quarter-finals with a 5-3 aggregate triumph.

A day later, Manchester United became the first team in the competition’s history to progress after a 2-0 first-leg home defeat, with Marcus Rashford’s injury-time penalty sealing a 3-1 win at Paris Saint-Germain that saw them edge through on away goals.

Simeone, whose side take a 2-0 lead to Juventus for their second leg on Tuesday, sees no reason why people should be shocked by such results.

“We’ve seen that there are always complex and very difficult situations in cup games,” he said ahead of Saturday’s LaLiga game with Leganes. “They’re split into two, and the one who plays the best makes the difference.

“It’s great. All the opponents are difficult and that’s what we’re seeing in the Champions League.

“It doesn’t surprise me because all the teams have improved and there’s a lot of competition. People who watch little football are more surprised by these results; those who watch more are less surprised.”

United’s win came thanks to a controversial VAR-influenced decision to penalise Presnel Kimpembe for handball, while the video assistant also caused a stir with certain incidents in Madrid’s defeat and Porto’s win over Roma.

Simeone, though, is not prepared to become distracted by thoughts of more debatable decisions to come.

“I understand your concern and focus on the details of Tuesday, but we’re thinking about the game [against Leganes],” he said. “We have to play an important match. Then, we will think about things we can’t control.

“I like Leganes. [Mauricio] Pellegrino’s work is fantastic. He’s done well already with other teams. Once again, he has managed to create a commitment from his players to play for the good of the team. I have great respect for coaches who can do this.

“We’re not in the same comfortable situation as Juventus in their league, where there’s a huge gap. We have to keep competing as we have always done, and we’ll use the players we think most convenient to take the game where we want it to go.”