Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.
Diego Simeone admitted Atletico Madrid “lost the match in just five minutes” after being thumped 3-0 by Athletic Club in LaLiga.
Athletic made a blistering start to the second half, with Nico Williams and Robert Navarro both scoring within three minutes of the restart.
Oihan Sancet then added some gloss to the scoreline in the 90th minute, leading Athletic to their biggest victory over Atleti in the league since January 2013 (also 3-0 at San Mames).
This match also marked the first time Atletico conceded two goals in the first three minutes of the second half in a single match.
Simeone’s side were strong throughout, finishing the match with 15 shots, with five of those on target, but he conceded that their slow start after the break cost them any points.
“The match was as we saw it. We produced a good first half,” he said.
“In the second half, we lost the match in just five minutes; in fact, I believe that two minutes were enough to change everything.
“Then two minutes of lost attention and focus passed, and an inability to settle situations that we should have dealt with better.
— Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) September 5, 2026
“Athletic took advantage of that moment of lost focus. They deservedly won the match.
“The match was going well for us before the start of the second half. But we did not handle the situation well during two minutes, and that is the responsibility of the coaching staff.
“We are in the phase of building the team. And we will go through complicated situations. We started well, but those two minutes today dealt us a blow, and we have to respond to it.”
Julian Alvarez was the subject of a transfer saga over the summer, with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Arsenal all interested in his signature, but Atleti refused to sell him.
He came on in the second half just before the hour mark, and though he only managed one shot, he generated the most individual expected goals (xG) among Atleti players (0.23).
Simeone was asked why Alvarez had not joined the rest of the substitutes for Atleti’s usual post-match drills, but he was not impressed by the line of questioning.
“Alvarez did not go out to warm up after the match? Really? I have no comment,” he said.
“Apart from Julian’s chance, we did not have clear chances. Athletic Bilbao will compete for the top places this season.”
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