Simeone says Atletico Madrid lacked cutting edge as Athletic Club earn 3-0 win

Diego Simeone said Atletico de Madrid were punished for failing to take their chances after a strong first half was followed by a decisive spell from Athletic Club in a 3-0 La Liga defeat at San Mames.

The home side scored twice within the opening three minutes of the second half before adding a third goal to secure a convincing victory in the fourth round of the league season.

Simeone said Atletico had created enough opportunities to take control of the game before the interval but were unable to provide the decisive finish.

“It was a very good first half, and we created many chances to take the lead, but we lacked the strength that we always talk about in decisive areas,” the Atletico manager told the club’s television channel.

Athletic Club made the most of their opportunities soon after the restart, turning the momentum of the match in their favour.

“In the second half, within five minutes – in fact, within only two minutes – they managed to take advantage of the situations and chances that came their way,” added Simeone.

Nico Williams and Robert Navarro scored early in the second half, while Oihan Sancet completed the victory for Ernesto Valverde’s side.

Simeone said the contest became increasingly difficult for his team once Athletic Club had moved ahead.

“From that moment, the game became more tense, and of course it was not like the first half. They were better organised defensively,” he said.

“It became difficult for us to move the ball forward and create danger, and in the end we lost the match.”

The result lifted Athletic Club to six points and eighth place in the table, while Atletico de Madrid remained on seven points in sixth.

Julian Alvarez came on in the 59th minute and played for 31 minutes. The Argentina forward had missed the opening and third rounds of the league campaign and had made only a partial appearance in the second round.

Athletic Club matched their biggest La Liga victory over Atletico de Madrid since January 2013, when they won by the same 3-0 scoreline at San Mames. Marcelo Bielsa was in charge of Athletic Club for that earlier meeting.

The match also produced a notable league record. Athletic Club scored twice in the first three minutes of the second half in a single game for the first time in La Liga history. Atletico de Madrid, meanwhile, conceded two goals during that same period.