Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone admits Franck Kessie's red card made the difference for victory at Champions League opponents AC Milan.
Milan had the lead before Kessie's 29th minute dismissal, with Atletico eventually winning 2-1 via Antoine Griezmann and Luis Suarez.
“Let's start from the beginning. Milan were superior to us, played a very fast, dynamic style of football, which we already saw them play against Liverpool," Simeone told Sport Mediaset.
“Naturally, after the red card, they started to cede some territory and we started to get into a game that we hadn't even started.
“After the break, we came out hungry, trying to break through a team that was well-organised. We really needed this victory."
Simeone took Geoffrey Kondogbia off before halftime with the midfielder having been booked.
He added: “I was already going to substitute Kondogbia. I admit when it was 11 against 11, Milan were better, that is beyond doubt.
“We played the second half by going for it with everything we had."
Need a VPN? Or seeking to switch? Then support Tribal Football by clicking here to sign up with our official partners NordVPN. Not only will you receive the best VPN experience, but also great discounts by signing up via Tribal Football. Thanks for your support!