For two decades, Camp Nou had been a fortress of frustration for Atletico Madrid, but that long wait for avictory in Catalonia finally came to an end on Wednesday night. Before this clash, the Madrid side had been winless in their last 25 visits to the stadium across all competitions, with their last triumph coming way back in February 2006 under the guidance of Pepe Murcia.
The significance of the result cannot be overstated for Simeone, who had never tasted victory away at Barcelona since taking the reins at Atleti. Having weathered an early storm from the hosts, Simeone’s disciplined side capitalised on their numerical advantage to secure a result that shifts the power dynamic in this all-Spanish European tie.