Watch out Arsenal! Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone has no doubt over 'the strongest' Champions League team

Los Colchoneros kept their Champions League hopes alive with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Inter, decided by Jose Maria Gimenez’s towering 93rd-minute header. The Uruguayan rose highest to meet Antoine Griezmann’s corner, finishing off a gripping contest that had swayed back and forth all night. Earlier, Julian Alvarez opened the scoring for the hosts before Piotr Zielinski equalised for the Nerazzurri, setting the stage for a nail-biting finale. The win, Atleti's third in the competition, pushed them up to nine points, keeping alive their slim but real hope of reaching the last-16 round without having to navigate a knockout play-off tie. The visitors, meanwhile, suffered their first Champions League defeat of the season under Cristian Chivu. Yet Simeone’s post-match tone was anything but triumphant.

Despite Arsenal defeating Bayern Munich 3-1 to remain the only team with a perfect record and despite Atleti being thrashed 4-0 by the Gunners earlier in the campaign, Simeone refused to name Mikel Arteta’s side as Europe’s benchmark. Instead, he offered a firm and unexpected verdict on who leads the pack heading into the decisive phase of the competition. As the celebrations at the Metropolitano tapered off, the Argentine shifted the focus from the result to the bigger European picture and his comments set up the perfect moment for his headline-grabbing declaration.

Before celebrating the magnitude of Atletico’s win, Simeone made it clear where he believes the real power lies in Europe right now. Speaking to Prime Video after the final whistle, he said: “There’s no doubt about it. Inter are the strongest team in the Champions League right now.”

He then reflected on how Atletico approached the match and the impact of his substitutes: “That’s why we played a first half to hinder their play. We knew that in the second half we could express our full repertoire, with top-class players like Griezmann, [Alexander] Sorloth, and Nico Gonzalez, who came on very well and allowed us to score in the final move. It was very nice, but the idea, regardless of the result, was the same. I don’t know how to live in my comfort zone; I prefer to stay that way. You have to work with faith, love, and quality. I have players who follow me, and that’s crucial for every coach. Today, there were strikers on the bench who wanted to start, and when they came on, they showed their worth.”

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The 55-year-old's admiration for Inter did not come out of nowhere. His connection to the Nerazzurri remains deep and he had already stirred headlines on the eve of the match. When asked openly about the possibility of managing Inter in the future, the Atletico boss offered one of the most candid answers of his career.

With calm confidence, he said: “It doesn’t depend on just me, but in my coaching career I can imagine myself managing Inter one day. I think it will happen one day.”

Those comments, paired with his glowing praise after full-time, underline the esteem in which Simeone holds the Serie A club. It also places his verdict in context: Atletico may have beaten Inter, but he still views them as Europe’s most complete and balanced side, even ahead of Arsenal, whom he notably did not select despite their perfect start to the Champions League.

Los Rojiblancos themselves have been erratic in Europe this season, mixing strong wins with heavy setbacks, and Simeone’s words reflect both respect for Inter’s structure and recognition of his own squad’s inconsistency.

Atleti's late winner lifts them to nine points, keeping alive their slim but realistic hopes of reaching the knockout rounds. The victory comes at a crucial time, as their Champions League campaign had been hanging in the balance. Simeone will now look to carry that momentum into domestic action. Atletico return to La Liga on Saturday with a home fixture against Real Oviedo, aiming to stabilise their league form and build confidence ahead of their next European challenge.

The Champions League journey resumes on December 9, when they travel to face PSV, a match that could define whether this revived campaign becomes a genuine knockout run or another season of missed opportunities. For now, though, the Argentine has made his stance crystal clear: Inter are the team to beat, and beating them only reinforced his belief.