The moment referee Kuipers blew for halftime, Simeone spun and strode down the tunnel toward the dressing room.
He was cursing inside.
If the half had ended 0-0, his interval adjustments would have been far easier.
Now the pressure was immense.
Atletico are not as strong as Real Madrid. A goal down, Real Madrid would play even more steadily, find ways to force Atletico to push, then hit on the counter.
Simeone's team excels at defensive counterattacks, yet now they were being countered themselves.
Depressing as it was, he had no time to dwell. He needed a plan, fast.
All in black, Simeone cut a sharp figure.
At the dressing-room door, he opened his arms to each player as they came down, hugging and thumping backs in encouragement.
His assistant, Burgos, remained on the pitch organizing the subs' warm-up.
He did not intend to make wholesale changes at once, but preparation was needed.
When everyone had entered, Simeone followed and the door shut.
Atletico's players were exhausted. Their heavy breathing said it all.
That is normal. Against a side like Real Madrid, anyone feels the strain.
Simeone had repeatedly warned them pre-match to be ready for the toughest fight.
He had told them explicitly, this could be the hardest match of their careers.
So far, it felt that way.
Not only due to the opponent's quality and tactical level, but because this was a Champions League final.
This stage, this occasion, this pressure, they are the ultimate test.
"Okay! Okay!! Okay!!!"
Simeone clapped hard and shouted, drawing all eyes.
"We did very well in the first half. Even though we conceded, I want to say it was an accident. Forget the goal and the accident. We still have a second half."
He gave Tiago an encouraging look.
The Portuguese midfielder visibly relaxed, since the goal stemmed from his error.
"After 45 minutes, you should have felt it. Real Madrid adjusted their tactics in the first half. They lost their nerve and played negative football."
"When we pushed and pressed, they played more directly. When we dropped off, they held the ball like Barcelona, soft and sterile, keeping it without threat."
Simeone spoke loudly, not worried if anyone outside heard.
"This approach is no big deal. We are just not used to it. Gao Shen is conservative in this match. Why conservative?" He waved his right hand above his head. "Because he is afraid of us."
"Yes, Gao Shen is very afraid of you now," Simeone said, jabbing a finger at his players, infusing them with belief.
"We are the best team in Europe. We are one of the few who can threaten Real Madrid. So he is afraid. He turned Real Madrid into a hedgehog, no, a porcupine covered in spines. Clumsy and dumb."
Some Atletico players smiled.
"Even the best hunters get pricked sometimes when facing a porcupine. We got pricked in the first half. It does not matter. We still have the second half. We still have weapons. As long as we score, it is back to level."
Heads nodded all around.
"We will tweak things a bit after the break."
Simeone turned coolly and pointed at Villa. "David, you go left in the second half and track Carvajal. If there is a chance, drive at him or cut into the box to threaten."
Villa had started on the left of a 4-4-2, but his impact was limited.
Simeone moved him wider to exploit his strengths, especially his timing and danger when cutting into the area.
"Diego, keep pinning Pepe and Ramos."
"Koke," Simeone called to his standout midfielder of the season, reputedly admired by Barcelona, "go to the right and suppress Marcelo. Do not lose him."
Koke raised his hand. "Got it, boss."
"Raúl," Simeone pointed at Raúl García, "you are the central '3' in a 4-2-3-1. Push up to support the striker, even run beyond. When we drop, support the double pivot. Especially in passing, make sure you link us."
"I understand," Raúl García nodded.
This was meant to avoid a repeat of the disconnect seen before and after the goal, with forwards cut off from midfield and defense, a nightmare in modern football.
Finally, Simeone highlighted several issues Real Madrid exposed in the first half.
He had one aim, to restore belief that Atletico could turn it around and beat Real Madrid.
…
While Simeone was lifting his players, Gao Shen was busy in the home dressing room.
He analyzed the first half, addressed a few issues with suggested fixes, and outlined his second-half projection.
From a tactical standpoint, Real Madrid held the advantage and would not change much. Gao Shen would not let them grow conservative. He wanted them to stick to the first-half plan, push when the opponent pushed and control when they dropped, continuing to sap Atletico's energy.
It was an open conspiracy.
Even without the first-half goal, if Real Madrid kept grinding, they would launch a fierce final-20 surge, hitting Atletico and creating goals.
Simeone knew this.
Now, with the goal, Real Madrid's edge was clearer.
But they could not relax.
"In the second half, Atletico will emphasize collective play even more. They will not give us easy chances. We need to be more proactive in creating them."
"Two points," Gao Shen said, raising two fingers.
"First, Di María and Ronaldo switch flanks. We change the attacking route."
Argentines are the bricks, moved wherever needed.
In the first half, Gao Shen targeted Siqueira's side by stationing Di María there. The plan would change after the break.
He had noticed Siqueira offered little going forward and was conservative, which also meant their left-side width did not stretch. That was a problem.
Conversely, Juanfran had fought Ronaldo for a long time and spent energy. So Di María would attack him after the break.
As mentioned, Di María differs from Ronaldo. The Portuguese thinks first about finishing. Even when he dribbles, the goal is to score.
He is no longer the Ronaldo who joined Manchester United.
Di María, however, can score, assist, slip passes, and pry open defenses.
Gao Shen wanted to use Juanfran as the breakthrough point, combining with Marcelo, and breaking Atletico during transitions.
Even if Ronaldo swapped with Di María, it was fine. He could rotate with Benzema at any time.
Benzema's great strength is filling gaps and taking responsibility.
"The second point is defense."
Gao Shen played a short clip, a set-piece defense from the first half.
"Remember, before the match, when we analyzed Atletico's set pieces, I pointed this out?"
Atletico's set plays are genuinely strong. Their path to the final owed much to them.
For instance, on a long-range free kick in the first half, when Ronaldo stood over it, Atletico's wall spread wide to give the keeper a clear view and early read.
Real Madrid also made adjustments for Atletico's dead balls. When defending corners, Atletico rarely station men on the posts, preferring to crowd the area and attack the first ball to increase clearance chances.
On set plays, the delivery and target zones are crucial. Both Atletico and Real Madrid care deeply about them.
On a first-half corner, Diego Costa peeled around, ran from the far post to the central front space, and got his head to it, beating Modric.
Why?
Modric is 1.74 meters. Diego Costa is 1.88. Add leap and contact, and Modric is at a disadvantage.
That was the clip Gao Shen showed.
"I repeated it before the match, do not miss any detail. Be prepared. Even if we do not score, disrupt them and do not let them score easily."
Everyone nodded.
"Thibaut has been excellent tonight. His timing off his line and decisions have been spot on," Gao Shen said, praising Courtois, flawless in several actions.
The Belgian has a maturity beyond his years.
"In the second half, Atletico will lean harder on set pieces. We must defend them."
"And do not forget, we have our own set-piece edge."
Gao Shen pointed at Ramos and Pepe.
"These last 45 minutes are everything. Play them well, and you make history."
Those simple words lit a fire in every Real Madrid player.
"Let our lives burn freely for the light of tonight."
(To be continued.)