Gimenez: Atletico Madrid s defensive improvement is not due to me personally, but to the team s cooperation

In the fourth round of the Champions League early this morning, Atletico Madrid defeated San Giros 3-1 at home. Atletico Madrid defender Jimenez was interviewed after the game.

Atletico Madrid had a ball possession rate of 67% and shot 14 times, but they did not seal the victory until the 6th minute of stoppage time. What's your assessment of this game?

We controlled this game very well in the second half. It can be seen that we created many scoring opportunities and our offense was also well-organized. But we failed to score more goals as we hoped. Instead, in the final stage, our opponents launched a fierce attack after regaining one point.

Is there anything that needs improvement?

There are always areas for improvement. This game we have to be smarter about, we were a little too anxious.

You were originally scheduled to take a rest in this game, but Lenorment was injured and left the field in the 23rd minute, and then you came on as a substitute.

I asked about Lenorment's situation. The good news is that the injury was not serious. I hope he can return as soon as possible, because he is a very important player for the team. I don't think that I am resting as a substitute. The team has formed a lineup that fights for victory. The players who have entered the starting lineup are very capable and have many advantages.

In recent games, Atletico Madrid's defense has improved

In fact, in the weeks before the national team match day, the team has realized that the overall coordination and teamwork must be improved. This has been reflected in the last few games. It’s not because of me personally, the whole team is working better together and knowing how to move better, so we concede fewer goals. The only exception was the previous away game against Arsenal in London (Atletico lost 0-4), but the team is understanding how to defend as a whole.

You scored three important points in this game.

We have to win and we feel responsible to do that. Champions League matches are determined by details. This has been fully proven, and teams with fewer mistakes can go further. We played a good game and we knew they were going to be very defensive and the game was going to be tight.