Diego Simeone couldn’t contain his excitement as Conor Gallagher worked tirelessly to help Atletico Madrid seal a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao to move two points clear at the top of La Liga on Saturday night.
Former Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez scored the game’s only goal in the 66th minute to earn a crucial victory for Atletico, who are on the hunt for a first La Liga title in four years.
But it was the tenacious work of former Chelsea midfielder Gallagher that sparked the biggest reaction of the night from Simeone deep into second-half stoppage time.
There were 93 minutes on the clock at the Wanda Metropolitano when Gallagher, a second-half substitute, dispossessed Bilbao twice in as many seconds with two lung-busting challenges.
First England international Gallagher covered 20 yards in a matter of seconds before tackling a Bilbao midfielder with a crunching effort before doing the same to Nico Williams to send the ball into touch.
The pair of tackles from Gallagher prompted an animated reaction from Simeone on the touchline, who immediately tried to pump up both the crowd and his players for the final seconds of the La Liga match.
The Argentine’s reaction to the interventions was the latest glowing endorsement of Gallagher’s move from Chelsea to Atletico Madrid last summer.
Since moving to the Spanish capital in a deal worth roughly £33m last summer, Gallagher has become a crucial part of Simeone’s side and has made 33 appearances across all competitions.
Discussing Gallagher’s performances in September, Simeone said: “He came with a lot of enthusiasm, and we needed that kind of player in the midfield because he makes us better.
“He does not stop giving his best in every game situation in which he participates.”
