Diego Simeone professed himself happy after Tuesday's 1-1 Spanish Super Cup draw at Real Madrid, while saying that despite his side's away goal the tie remained in the balance ahead of Friday's second leg.
Last season's La Liga champions Atletico put in a typically committed and intense display at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, but the 2013-14 Copa del Rey winners seemed to have snatched a win when 80-million-euro substitute James Rodriguez bundled home with seven minutes remaining.
There was still time however for the visitors to show their famous never say die attitude, and Raul Garcia's close range equaliser silenced the Bernabeu crowd and gave Atletico what looks a slight advantage ahead of the return at their Estadio Vicente Calderon.
Speaking after the game the Colchoneros coach said he was, on balance, happy with how the 90 minutes had gone.
"We set out for the game within the characteristics of the team we want," Simeone said. "We played more as we wanted than as they wanted. We had three or four chances to open the scoring which did not come off. The game changed with Di Maria, which is logical as he is the best player they have. Their goal came, but we had the strength to go into the home leg with a 50 percent chance thanks to the goal from Raul Garcia."
Pressed by reporters about the comment about his fellow Argentine -- who Madrid president Florentino Perez is apparently keen to sell to Manchester United against the wishes of Blancos coach Carlo Ancelotti -- Simeone repeated the point.
"Di Maria is Madrid's best player for sure," he said. "His ability to unbalance games helps everyone else to play well."
While not keen to single out any one player from his own side, Simeone accepted that new centre-forward Mario Mandzukic had played well.
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"Mandzukic put in great work, he had a clear chance against Casillas, but worked very hard for the team defensively," he said. "For that we count on him -- and we can then break with the pace of Griezmann or of Raul [Jimenez]. That was our plan, to make it a tough, tight game, and then to try and use our pace and break later on. The team will be our best player [this season], once again. When they work all together, normally the team responds. We do not pick out individuals, it is about being together, working hard, not giving up chances, like we did in the first half."
Simeone said his gameplan had involved his midfield four -- including emerging midfielder Saul Niguez, 19 -- working extra hard to ensure Madrid's ball-players were forced wide and away from goal.
"We looked to have people in the middle, to close off the interior passages, and push Madrid out wide. We had our wide midfielders deep alongside Juanfran or Siqueira too. Saul did well in a position unusual for him, he had two chances to score too. I see him as a similar player to Koke at that stage, with the talent to create like him. He will have chances this season, we hope he keeps improving."
The former tough-tackling midfielder rejected suggestions from reporters that referee Javier Estrada Fernandez, who booked five Atletico players but ignored howls from the Bernabeu crowd to show a red, had been too lenient, by pointing out that Madrid's Sergio Ramos had also been lucky to only see yellow after appearing to punch Mandzukic.
"I did not see anything too bad -- and not just in the clash between Ramos and Mandzukic," he said.