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This is definitely not the impenetrable defense that Simeone's team has shown in the Champions League over the years. The entire defensive line was full of loopholes, but for fans who regularly follow Atlético Madrid, this was not surprising.
So far this season, Atlético Madrid have conceded more than three goals in a single game seven times in all competitions, and they conceded five goals in the two-legged Champions League round of 16 match against Tottenham Hotspur, a Premier League relegation-battling team.
None of Atlético Madrid's last 36 Champions League matches have ended 0-0, with an average of nearly four goals per game. This is due to the team's personnel changes in recent seasons, including signing many talented attackers, but lacking some tough defenders.
Although Atlético Madrid have not become a entertaining team in football, their playing style has indeed become more open. Simeone has adapted to the trends of modern football, such as building attacks from the back and restricting the opponent's attacking space through pressing.
The manager, who has been in charge of Atlético Madrid for 14 years, has also learned some new tactics in order to finally win his first Champions League trophy, which was fully demonstrated in the two-legged match against Barcelona.
Ademola Lookman's goal put Atlético Madrid ahead on aggregate, but Barcelona did not give up.
Their defense showed loopholes again, and Ferran Torres scored again, but the goal was disallowed for offside, and Atlético Madrid narrowly escaped.
The game was full of ups and downs, with both sides exchanging attacks, especially after Barcelona defender Eric García was sent off with a red card. Even with 10 men, Atlético Madrid continued to create chances for the opponent. Near the end of the game, Robert Lewandowski and Ronald Araújo both scored close-range headers unmarked.
Atlético Madrid have scored 34 goals in 14 games, the second-most in the Champions League (tied with Bayern Munich before Wednesday's match against Real Madrid), while they have conceded only 26 goals, the second-most among all teams (after Qarabağ's 30 goals conceded).
Today's Atlético Madrid is very different from before in many ways. They moved from the dilapidated Vicente Calderón Stadium on the banks of the Manzanares River in Madrid to the modern and luxurious Cívitas Metropolitano Stadium in the suburbs of the Spanish capital, known as the "new rich".
Atlético Madrid was once mired in financial difficulties for a long time, but now they have become a European super club, with American investment firm Apollo in the process of acquiring a majority stake.
Veteran defenders like Diego Godín, as well as tough midfielders like Saúl Ñíguez and Raúl García, have left the team. Instead, in recent years, they have spent huge sums of money to sign international attackers like Julián Álvarez from Argentina and Ademola Lookman from Nigeria.
Experienced captain and leader Koke and defender Matteo Ruggeri still retain the style of the past, while veteran Antoine Griezmann has shown tenacious fighting spirit and outstanding strength in his last few months before moving to Orlando City in Major League Soccer this summer.
Therefore, regardless of which team Atlético Madrid faces in the semi-finals—their final opponent will be Arsenal and Sporting CP—they must be prepared to meet new challenges.
Arsenal are no strangers to the "old Atlético Madrid". They met in the semi-finals of the 2017-18 Europa League. At that time, Simeone's team narrowly won 1-0 in both legs, which was also Wenger's last season in charge of the Gunners. In the first leg in London, Atlético Madrid was sent off early in the game, but they stubbornly equalized the score and sealed the victory with Griezmann's counterattack goal near the end of the game. In the second leg in Madrid, Diego Costa scored again with a counterattack to help the team seal the victory.
Simeone will celebrate his 55th birthday on the day of the first leg of this year's Champions League semi-final, but he still maintains a high level of enthusiasm, especially at the most important moments.
Near the end of Tuesday's game, he was still jumping on the sidelines, waving his arms, encouraging the fans to cheer louder. After the game, instead of disappearing into the player tunnel as usual, he stayed on the sidelines to hug his coaching staff and immerse himself in the atmosphere of joy.
"It has been 14 years," Simeone said after the game. “I am very excited to see the team continue to fight. Players have come and gone, we have gone through countless reconstructions, and now we are back among the top four in Europe. We know our strengths and weaknesses—we are a team that is better at attacking than defending. We will chase the goal we have dreamed of for many years with passion and confidence.”
The years have somewhat smoothed the edges and corners of the Argentine. In the face of Barcelona's complaints about the referee and the turf of the Cívitas Metropolitano Stadium before the game, Simeone only responded: “It's great to reach the semi-finals.”
He also pointed out that Barcelona used "Plan B" near the end of the game, sending long passes to Ronald Araújo, who was temporarily playing as a center forward, and it was clear that he knew exactly what kind of reaction this remark would trigger.
Atlético Madrid have advanced to the Champions League semi-finals for the seventh time in their history, and the fourth time under Simeone's coaching.
In an interview with Sky Sport Italia, former Italian forward Alessandro Del Piero asked Simeone if he felt that the atmosphere this season was different from previous seasons, and Simeone replied: “Yes, I feel it, I feel it.”
Simeone and his team have been constantly adjusting and progressing, striving to lift the Champions League trophy for the first time in the club's history.
