Argentine boss Diego Simeone said Atletico Madrid played with 12 men on the field thanks to the incredible atmosphere created by the club's fans
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone hailed the club's "spectacular" supporters after their 3-1 win over Eibar in La Liga on Saturday.
Second-half goals from Jose Maria Gimenez, Saul Niguez and Fernando Torres saw Atletico move joint-top of the league table alongside Barcelona, however the Catalans possess two games in hand.
Simeone could not have been happier with the atmosphere inside the Vicente Calderon and believes the supporters acted as a "12th man" on the field.
"Without doubt, they have unified many things, but today the fans were spectacular," the Argentine said.
"I invite them to always be like that. Today there was a distinct atmosphere.
"We felt it from the first half, which was a very bad half from us, but the fans were participating and that's what the team needed.
"The people never left the game. Today we returned to play with 12 men."
The win was Simeone's 100th as Atletico coach, with the 45-year-old reaching the landmark in his 159th league game in charge.
"I go away happy from today," he added. "The situation was not simple when you start the second half [1-0 down].
"The reaction in the second half showed once again how much personality this team has."
- Goal