Spain - January 22, 2025 Bayer Leverkusen saw their run of 11 straight UEFA Champions League wins ended 2-1 by Atletico Madrid on Monday. Despite being reduced to 10 men after Pablo Barrios was sent off in the first half, Atletico capitalised on a second-half change of pace to secure victory and move into the top three in the group. Atletico coach Diego Simeone praised his team's courage and intelligence in overcoming adversity, while Bayer Leverkusen's Xabi Alonso admitted his side struggled to regain their composure after conceding the equaliser. (Camera: TATO PÉREZ). FOOTAGE SHOWS THE PRESS CONFERENCE OF THE COACHES OF ATLÉTICO DE MADRID AND LEVERKUSEN AFTER THE MATCH, IN MADRID, SPAIN. SOUND BITES AND TRANSLATION: 1. DIEGO PABLO 'CHOLO' SIMEONE, ATLÉTICO DE MADRID'S COACH (IN SPANISH). -The team in the second half was incredible. It was beautiful to see, exciting for the game we were playing, interpreting each situation as it needed to be played, interpreting how each duel needed to be fought. I think it went far beyond just coming back in the match. There was a team that played with intelligence, a team that had courage, and a team that knew how to choose the right moments to seek those little details that can turn a game around. That speaks very well of the team. The club's history is like that. The team always works, believes, seeks, and insists. And, well, they keep insisting, and in the second half, I repeat, there are a lot of things that I liked. 2. XABI ALONSO, BAYER LEVERKUSEN COACH (IN SPANISH). -At 55-52, we reached 1-1. [Before that] It was a good game, we were very connected in the game, very stable. The 1-1 perhaps affected us too much. They also caught a bit of air, and their emotional momentum changed, and so did ours. We could not regain our good momentum from that moment. Beyond the tactical or football reasons, I think we were a bit affected and couldn't reestablish or recover our stability in the game. Atlético caught a bit of air, and the game opened up a bit more. Atlético took the game more to their ground, and we couldn’t control it as much as we were doing. Then came Piero’s red card, and anything could have happened. That was the final blow in the last few minutes because we didn't come with that idea. [Restrictions: Spain, Latin America, or the U.S. Hispanic market]