Football
Dermot Corrigan, Madrid correspondent 9y

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone rues missed chances

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone said missed chances were to blame after Sunday night's surprise 1-0 defeat to Villarreal at the Vicente Calderon.

A very even game was settled with just five minutes remaining when Villarreal's emerging star Luciano Vietto fired in from 15 yards. Atletico had earlier had a goal by Mario Mandzukic ruled out by referee Pedro Jesus Perez Montero, but the home side had struggled for long periods to impose themselves against very well organised and hard-working opponents.

After what is a first home defeat for his team since losing to Barcelona back in May 2013, the Colchoneros coach told his post-match news conference that had they managed to get in front on the scoreboard he was sure they would have gone on to win.

"It was a committed game, with both teams having goal chances," Simeone said. "If we had taken ours, we would have had a big chance to win the game. Then they settled it with a great counter-attack. This is an important loss for us, our first in [over] a year."

Simeone had tried to force an opening by throwing on first Antoine Griezmann and then Alessio Cerci through the second half, only for his side to give up a number of chances on the counter to the very bright Vietto and fellow attacker Denis Cheryshev.

"In the last 20 minutes we maybe lost our shape, thinking of the win," he admitted. "But the team worked very well. We must just congratulate the opponent and prepare for our next game."

The 90 minutes was played in a muted atmosphere, being the first at the Calderon since the Frente Atletico "ultras" were expelled from the stadium following the pre-organised fight with Deportivo La Coruna counterparts two weekends ago. Simeone refused to accept that the unusual mood around the ground had affected him or his players.

"The atmosphere seemed good to me," he said. "But I was really just watching the game."

Those fans inside the stadium were celebrating early in the second half when Arda Turan turned brilliantly and crossed for Mandzukic to head in, but the cheers turned to groans when Perez Montero ruled that the Croatian No. 9 had pushed Villarreal right-back Mario to get to the ball. Simeone would also not comment on what he thought of that decision, or the official's performance.

"The referee I will not talk about," he said. "It is not fair to do that, especially when you have lost."

The Argentine coach was happier to congratulate matchwinner Vietto, a 21-year-old attacker who Simeone gave a senior debut when both were at Racing Club in Argentina in 2011

"I'm happy for the kid as he has a lot of talent," Simeone said.

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