Simeone: Draw leaves a bad taste in my mouth

Diego Simeone said he was left with a “bad taste” in his mouth after Atletico Madrid were denied victory in a dramatic ending to their clash with Alaves.

Atletico looked set to secure all three points in their LaLiga opener on Sunday, with new signing Kevin Gameiro scoring a 93rd-minute penalty to break the deadlock.

However, newly-promoted Alaves had other ideas, scoring deep into stoppage time through Manu Garcia to salvage a 1-1 draw at the Vicente Calderon. 

“At the start of the game we went all out because the team looked very strong, with enthusiasm and a lot of energy,” Simeone said on the performance.

“We tried by all means to win the game, and I am left with a bad taste in my mouth because we had it won.

“The team had a good intensity to win the game. We lacked a bit of tranquility to finalise the plays. We’re left with very little for what we offered.”

On Alaves, Simeone said: “They tried to defend, and even suffered an injury to [Zouhair] Feddal. 

“Their goalkeeper played great. This is football, and you win by scoring goals, but we couldn’t convert. 

“A point is never enough.”