Simeone salutes Gameiro impact

Diego Simeone saluted Kevin Gameiro for breaking PSV’s resolve as Atletico Madrid won 2-0 to secure top spot in Champions League Group D on Wednesday.

Bayern Munich suffered a shock 3-2 defeat to Rostov in an earlier kick-off on Wednesday to give Atletico the opportunity to clinch their progression as group winners and, while it was by no means a vintage display, Simeone’s men ultimately prevailed.

Gameiro broke the deadlock with a clinical finish just after the break and then Antoine Griezmann wrapped things up with 24 minutes to go, but it was the former Sevilla man who drew most of Simeone’s attention.

He told reporters: “Perhaps in the second half when we looked least comfortable and were under a bit of pressure, Gameiro’s break and pace helped us turn the game on its head.

“Gameiro was looking good in the first half too and had some chances.

“The goal was a demonstration of his qualities; speed, power, finishing. It was a great finish.

“That’s what both he and Griezmann offer. It was an important moment both for him [Gameiro] and the team. We were able to open up the game when they were making things difficult for us.

“After Saturday’s loss [to Real Madrid] we wanted to put that behind us.”