Diego Simeone vs Xabi Alonso: A meeting of coaching minds – and one that could happen again soon

“Diego Simeone’s super-charged Atletico Madrid were just too much for Xabi Alonso’s eventually overwhelmed Bayer Leverkusen. The 2-1 result in Tuesday’s Champions League match was definitely not decided by a tactical masterclass from Simeone. Alonso had arguably picked the better XI and also made the more sensible substitutions to deal with how the game kept changing. But once more, Atletico showed heart and decisiveness — all the characteristics that Simeone’s super-intense management transmits to his best sides. Alonso was left to rue the result in a duel between two of Europe’s most high-profile coaches — and how his usually so well-organised and resilient team let slip a game that seemed they had full control of at one point. …”
NY Times/The Athletic