Diego Simeone responds to Man Utd fans pelting him with drinks

Manchester United pelted Diego Simeone with bottles after the full-time whistle at Old Trafford.

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone claims he didn’t notice that Manchester United fans had thrown things at him.

The Argentine masterminded another European upset on English soil on Tuesday by leading Atletico to a 1-0 win over United in their second-leg match, ensuring a 2-1 aggregate victory in the last-16 tie.

At full-time, Simeone celebrated wildly around his technical area before he suddenly raced down the touchline into the tunnel while some infuriated United fans threw bottles at him from the stands.

Simeone explains his hasty exit

Speaking to reporters later on in a post-match press conference, however, Simeone claimed he was unaware of the incident.

“When I came off the pitch, I ran because I was happy and I like to enjoy it in the dressing room,” said the 51-year-old.

“So I don’t know what happened. What you just said, all I was thinking about was getting into the changing room to the dressing room, and I was really happy.”

Renan Lodi scored the only goal of the match to ensure Atletico a famous win. The Spanish giants have now reached the quarter-final stage for the sixth time across the last nine seasons.

On the team’s performance, Simeone added: “It was a brilliant effort from the lads, one of our best games this season. We started with a 5-3-2 then changed to a 5-4-1 with Antoine Griezmann on the right of midfield and Renan Lodi growing more and more on the left.

“Lodi’s doing really well. He had to wait a long time [to get in the team], but football is marvelous because when you train hard and are ready to go, there’s always a chance for you. The defense was brilliant, and Jan Oblak helped us remain calm throughout. It was a real team effort.”

What next for Atletico Madrid?

The Colchoneros resume their top-four chase in La Liga this Saturday with a short trip to fellow Madrid-based side Rayo Vallecano.

Despite their away disadvantage, Atletico are favorites for all three points. Bet365 has them priced at 2.05 to claim the victory, at the time of writing, meaning they have a 49% of winning.