Diego Simeone praised the passion of his Atletico Madrid side after they edged out Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday.
Alvaro Morata’s second half pressure eased the pressure on Los Rojiblancos and put them on the brink of qualification for the last 16 of the competition.
Both Atleti and Juventus now have seven points from their opening three rounds of action and are both within touching distance of securing qualification.
However, it was not a straightforward night for the home side, who once again found clear cut opportunities at a premium and many of their fans voiced their displeasure.
One such moment manifested itself in the second half when midfielder Koke – a long-time servant of the club – was whistled by the home fans.
“I feel good when I see passion and today the team had passion,” Simeone told his post-match press conference, as cited by Marca.
“We could play well or badly…but we found a way to win and we are closer to doing things right – this was an important victory.
“The people of Atlético have always been passionate, intense, participatory. I felt very good at the key moment.
“Whistles for Koke? People do what they feel and see at that time. It's football. At the time of Luis, Caminero, Kiko…they have been whistled by everyone.
“When Koke leaves the club they will thank him for what he does for Atlético. People are spontaneous. We have to look for those people to stop whistling and start applauding.”
