As Leicester City’s players drifted out of Estadio Vicente Calderón shortly before midnight, a TV reporter mentioned to Danny Simpson that there was no need for such a long face after a narrow defeat against a team who have reached the Champions League final twice in the past three seasons, especially when there is still so much to play for in the second leg.
It was a fair point to make after a 1-0 defeat that could have been worse, yet it also overlooked the fact that Simpson and his team-mates had just experienced what it feels like to play against an Atlético Madrid side who never stop running. Breaking into a smile, Simpson politely made that point when he explained he was tired, and he was not the only Leicester player who looked exhausted as they headed back to the team hotel. Atlético are renowned for being unforgiving opponents in La Liga and beyond. Or, to borrow the phrase that one coach used last season, “horrible bastards to play against”.
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