"I was convinced that the goal would come and that we could steer the game where we wanted. The equaliser made it 1-1, but unfortunately, we couldn't maintain that momentum because of the sending-off, which clearly hampered us and turned it into an entirely different match," the Atletico de Madrid head coach told 'Movistar'.

"Hjulmand's red card was fair. I always tell the lads that every time you go to ground, you run the risk of getting sent off. When there is contact, it looks bad, which is natural, and lunging in will always carry that danger of a dismissal for us or any other team," Simeone explained. The Argentine tactician was also questioned about a potential penalty on David Hancko: "I was a long way off and everyone was screaming that it was a penalty, that he got stamped on, but the truth is I didn't see it."

Assessing the contest as a whole, Simeone felt "everything unfolded" largely as the Rojiblancos had anticipated against Stuttgart, hailing them as "a tough, physical, formidable side who press relentlessly in your half". "They forced us out of our comfort zone. In the final 15 minutes of the first half, the team began to attack with greater purpose and gained a foothold. After the break, right up until the red card, the game was under control and going exactly where we wanted," he noted.

"The dismissal compromised our ability to stick to that game plan and execute different substitutions. We were forced to adapt to circumstances on the pitch. I loved the players' commitment; battling through the final 30 minutes with ten men after playing on Saturday and again on Tuesday... I'm delighted with that," he concluded.