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Atlético delighted to edge Juventus tussle

Beaten on matchday one, Club Atlético de Madrid and Arda Turan have their sights set on winning Group A after defeating Juventus, whose coach pointed to one error.

Turan on Atlético win

Match winner Arda Turan is targeting a first-place finish in Group A after Atlético's 1-0 victory
Diego Simeone points to "a tactically intelligent game" from last year's runners-up
Centre-back Diego Godín says Atlético treated the fixture "like a final"
Massimiliano Allegri rues costly mistakes in build-up to the game's decisive moment

Diego Simeone, Atlético coach
We were up against a great team. We played a tactically intelligent game as Juventus have strong strikers who are reference points and champions in midfield with a high three-man defence – it's not easy to play against them. We knew we could hurt them with crosses and cutbacks as it is difficult for them to close down the wings.

We allowed them to press us in midfield and in the first half Juventus played better, but we were more aggressive after the break and could slowly see what was going to happen. I think the game opened up when we introduced [Antoine] Griezmann and moved to a 4-4-2. We happened to get the goal first. Juventus are one of the strongest teams in the group.

Arda Turan, Atlético goalscorer
I am very happy with our goal; it was a difficult game for us. Now all four teams have three points, but we are going to do everything we can to win the next game. Today was very important for us, winning in the Champions League. We succeeded, so now we are going to concentrate on the upcoming [Malmö FF] game.

Arda explains Atlético victory

We want first place − finishing the group as the No1 [team] is a huge advantage. We have already forgotten the Olympiacos game that we lost [3-2] and we are now looking at the games ahead of us. However, like I said, it is a difficult group. We all have equal chances, but we will use our advantage.

Diego Godín, Atlético defender
We said in the pre-match press conference it was like a final for us. We didn't hide that, and that's how we approached it. It was a match between two strong teams who respected and know each other. It was a hard fight, with a lot of intensity. There weren't many chances, but in the end we managed to score one, and it's our first three points, which we needed to continue fighting in this group phase.   

[Arda Turan] is just fundamental. Arda is a little bit different, he takes his breaks [in a match] and lets the team play. He is very special, and when he performs like he did today then the team does well.

I don't think there are any favourites, it is a difficult task. Olympiacos are very strong at home, Malmö have showed that as well, so it will continue to be a very close and hard-fought group. But we know that our next Champions League match against Malmö will be very important, and we will approach it the same way we did tonight.

Diego Simeone urges Atlético on
Diego Simeone urges Atlético on©AFP/Getty Images

Massimiliano Allegri, Juventus coach
We paid for our mistake in run-up to the goal. It was a defeat from a game where we played well. We knew it was going to be a difficult match. The game was quite balanced and Juventus dominated part of the time. 

The group is open after tonight's results. We have great chances to reach the next round but we must win the next match.

If we didn't shoot more is because Atleti played well. We had opportunities but we failed in the decisive pass. We knew it was not easy to score against Atlético. We tried to keep possession to control the game. I think we played a good match from a technical point of view. It doesn't change all we have been doing up to now. We are going to analyse this result, thinking about our important match against AS Roma [on Sunday].

Fernando Llorente, Juventus forward
It was a very tough game, very tactical. They got down the wings more than us and they got their goal, which really hurt us. A draw would have been a fairer result but at the end of the day, these games are always decided by the smallest of details.

We knew what was coming after, because Atlético are a very tough team and concede very few chances. This result is a real shame for us.

Juanfran, Atlético defender
It was a hard-fought win. Juventus are a prestigious side with great players and we knew we had a big job on our hands and had to work hard. The side were good in all areas of the game and it was a deserved win for us.

It's important to carry on with the same intensity and effort that has taken us to where we have got to over the past few years. We're a great side who are very difficult to break down and we aren't going to give any less this year. 

Last year we had a great season, but everyone in football knows the past doesn't matter and it is forgotten very quickly. We have to carry on fighting as we always have done, and hopefully we can have another great season, which is what all the Atlético fans deserve. 

Koke, Atlético midfielder
We heard about the other result in the group and now it's all to play for. We're relaxed. We needed to win today, but the UEFA Champions League campaign is just starting for us now. We have to put in a good performance here against Malmö next time out.

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