Diego Pablo Simeone expressed his confidence in Ñíguez Saul by giving him the starters chance in midfield with Mario Suarez, a joy for player who left with an incomplete feeling because the team could not achieve the objective of going in to the next round. "I have been fortunate to have minutes but the team has failed to step into the next phase. We came here, we tried and now we will think about the next game", he said after the match.

At just 18 years, Saul knows the requirement for a big team like Atletico and naturally demonstrated with his great performance in the Luzhniki Stadium. "Atletico Madrid have to step up in every game. We have done well on the field but we have been unfortunate to not be able to get the second", lamented the squad.

After a lot of trying, Falcao pulled one back in the 83rd minute, with no time to draw level on aggregate. "If we had gotten on before we would have had more options but still we had chances to get the second. We were unlucky", he said in the mixed zone.

The opponent did make things difficult Simeone's pupils who tried actively and passively to the breach the defence. "Rubin has sat back, defended well, they have done their job. We have tried to do ours and we've only got one goal. We must congratulate the other team".

The midfielder, who last week captained the second team, is aware that there is some way to go and work to be done. "I have many things to improve and I am growing with this team, these players, this manager. Every day I'm getting better. I do my work in training and when the coach needs me I'll be here giving my all", he concluded before getting on the bus with the rest of his teammates on the way to the airport.