Diego Pablo Simeone, coach of Atlético Madrid, expressed great satisfaction with the victory against Lazio (2-0) and securing the top spot in the Champions League football group. However, he emphasized that "in the Round of 16, all opponents are tough."

"A new chapter begins now. In knockout stages, every team is challenging. I don't know what might happen in the upcoming matches. Currently, there's a lot of quality in all teams. We've taken a step forward from our performance in recent years, where winning matches was a challenge. Now, we've concluded the first part of the competition in a significant position," said the coach.

"I'm delighted because the team has taken another step. I believe we've improved the pace of play and the pressing dynamics. In every match until now, we've been better than our opponents. Now, it's a different scenario. We have to face what a knockout stage entails, with no room for error," he added.