Atletico Madrid hero Saul Niguez believes his sensational solo effort against Bayern Munich in the Champions League semifinal was the best and most important goal of his career.

Saul scored the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win at Vicente Calderon after gliding past several Bayern players before curling a shot past Manuel Neuer on Wednesday.

The Spain Under-21 international is not well known for his goal-scoring exploits but his effort puts Atleti in a good position heading into the return leg at the Allianz Arena next week.

On his goal, Saul said: "I was steering through, and I saw there I had lost two opponents, and when I got to the area I hit it with my left to score. It's definitely the most important and most beautiful goal of my career too.

"Bayern are a difficult team so we have to thank all the fans who encourage and support us in every moment. The return leg is a very important game, but now we have to think about the next game in La Liga."

Atleti, which is level on points with La Liga leader Barcelona, faces Rayo Vallecano on Saturday as it continues to push for the title.