Sampaoli praises Atlético’s gritty win: “We defended with our hearts”

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·28 de setembro de 2025

Sampaoli praises Atlético’s gritty win: “We defended with our hearts”

Atlético returned to winning ways in the Brazilian Championship and, this Saturday (27), defeated Mirassol 1-0 at Arena MRV, in a match valid for the 25th round of the competition. The only goal of the game was scored by Vitor Hugo, at 9 minutes into the first half.

Despite building an early lead, Galo had to overcome many adversities to secure the victory. At 43 minutes of the first half, defender Junior Alonso was sent off. And, at the end of the second half, when Jorge Sampaoli had already made all five substitutions, forward Jr. Santos suffered an injury, leaving the team with two fewer players.

Vídeos OneFootball

In the post-match press conference, the Argentine coach praised the team’s effort and described the result as one of the most important since his arrival. Sampaoli highlighted the team’s strong start and valued his players’ attitude in the face of difficulties.

While it was 11 against 11, our team was superior, had many attacks, and created goal chances. After the sending off, against a team that plays very well and takes advantage of spaces, the team defended and fought hard. I value this result a lot, against a good Mirassol, with two players down. I’m proud of the players’ effort and commitment.

The Argentine also emphasized that the first half was Atlético’s best performance under his command: “Since I arrived, it was our best first half, showing speed and aggressiveness. Surely we need to keep improving, but I believe we took an important step”.

Decision to take off Bernard and praise for Vitor Hugo

After the sending off, the Argentine chose to take off Bernard to restore the line of three defenders (bringing on Iván Román). Asked about it, Sampaoli explained his choice: “With one man down I didn’t want to lose speed or transition. Biel and Rony could trouble the opponent with their speed. Unfortunately, with the sending off I had to take off a player who was being important. At that moment, I thought it was the right decision”, he justified.

The match-winner, defender Vitor Hugo, received praise from the coach.

He’s a player with great ability to learn and to interpret what the coach asks. He behaves well on the defensive line and was a pleasant surprise. Our defense played very well today, being assertive in every move. I’m very happy!

Emotion at the final whistle

Sampaoli also explained his effusive celebration after the end of the match.

Today was an emotional game. The fans supported us the whole time, and the opponent pressed at the end. I can say I really enjoyed it because of the value and effort of the whole group in a game we defended with our hearts. The way we won moved me.

With the victory, Atlético breathes easier in the standings and momentarily distances itself from the relegation zone. The next match will also be at home, against Juventude, next Tuesday (30) for the 26th round of the Brasileirão.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.