Diego Simeone praises Conor Gallagher, Julian Alvarez after Atletico win

The Atletico Madrid manager highlighted Gallagher's industrious display and Alvarez's crucial goal, as well as the clean sheet achieved by his side in their 3-0 victory over Valancia in La Liga over the weekend.

"Gallagher is a hard-working player with quality and a strong ability to arrive in attacking positions. He gives his all in every ball he contests. He's joined us with great enthusiasm, and we need such players in midfield as they make us better," Simeone remarked.

Simeone also discussed his observations on football tactics, saying, "I watch a lot of football, nearly every match. Apart from teams like City and Barcelona, few sides press high and defend in that position. Most teams tend to sit back and then create chances based on their quality when transitioning. Every team adapts according to their players."

Reflecting on the match, he noted, "The way his teammates celebrated and the roar from the crowd for his goal showed its importance. We all needed him to score, and I hope this is just the first of many."

Simeone praised his team's performance, stating, "We managed the game well in the first half, controlling play and making ourselves masters of the match. That control eventually led to our goal. It was similar to the Espanyol game, but we got our breakthrough."

He also acknowledged the impact of his substitutes, adding, "All the players coming off the bench are responding well, which allows us to compete effectively. We can bring in players from the bench who, when they come on, perform as they did in Bilbao or against Girona. We work as a team."

On Griezmann's absence from the starting XI, Simeone explained, "Griezmann did not start against Espanyol. We opted for Julian and Sorloth at the beginning. We've been rotating Griezmann to manage his workload."

Commenting on Alvarez's performance, he said, "I saw him in great form, which is why I started him. A World Cup champion is someone we need to demand a lot from."

Finally, Simeone touched on Alvarez's ability to find the net, stating, "I'm not inside Julian's mind. I was not a forward in my playing days, but I imagine that, as a striker, he thrives on scoring and generating excitement. He appeared when we least expected, was in the right place, and scored. We hope he continues to grow."

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