“On a higher level” | OneFootball

Markus Krösche, Dino Toppmöller and Ansgar Knauff spoke after the match, paying tribute to Atlético while being critical of their own team’s performance.

Board member for sport Markus Krösche: “This was a match against one of the best teams in Europe, and Atlético ended up being a bridge too far for us. They showed some real quality and created chances throughout the game, and we found it tough to defend against them. Some of the goals came about a bit too easily, though, and that’s something that we’re obviously going to have to work on. We need to accept the fact, though, that we were up against a team that is further along in their development than we are.”

Dino Toppmöller: “We found out in no uncertain terms why Real came here last weekend and lost 5-2, and we were shown just how impressive a team Atlético have got. We maybe showed them a little too much respect. They were very good value for their win – they showed intensity in the one-on-ones and the quality they have was clear for all to see. At the end of the day, matches like these are the ones that can really help us to grow as a group. We knew that we were very much the underdogs, and while we were all hoping for a different outcome, we need to take it on the chin. We were pushed to our limits, and the opposition were simply on a higher level.”

Ansgar Knauff: “Atlético were clearly the better team and showed that in the first half. We need to work on conceding fewer goals – we’re shipping too many at the moment, and when that happens, we don’t stand a chance in matches like this. You have to say, though, that their performance was absolutely top-drawer. To have any hope of taking something away from this kind of game, we need to be a lot more solid when it comes to corners and set pieces.”