Diego Simeone said the new Champions League format meant his Atlético Madrid team “absolutely had to win” their opening game, after José María Giménez’s 90th minute header gave them a dramatic 2-1 victory over RB Leipzig.
Benjamin Sesko put Leipzig ahead on the counterattack in the 4th minute at the Metropolitano on Thursday, before the game’s MVP Antoine Griezmann levelled after half an hour, and later set up Giménez for his winner.
Atlético will travel to Benfica in their next Champions League game, before facing Lille, Paris Saint-Germain, Sparta Prague, Slovan Bratislava, Bayer Leverkusen and Salzburg in the rest of the new league phase.
“This format means we absolutely had to win,” Simeone told Movistar. “A draw today wouldn’t do much for us. The format means you have to try to win, and if you can’t, you have to get something.
“Those [teams] who win enough games will be in the top eight, and won’t have to play two extra matches.”
The top eight sides in the league phase will qualify automatically for the Champions League round of 16, while the teams finishing between 9th and 24th will compete in two-legged playoffs to progress.