Raphinha struck on the night, with Simeone declaring afterwards the Brazilian should've won the Ballon d'Or this year ahead of PSG star Ousmane Dembele.
He said, "Raphinha plays every game. He scores goals, he presses... I don't know how he didn't win the Ballon d'Or.
"Cardoso's injury forced us to change our lineup a bit. We had high expectations for Johny, but he suffered that injury that kept him out of the game. We expect more and more from Julián (Alvarez).
"He's a player who changes the team's fortunes and is the most important player on the team."
"He'll definitely show up in the next game or the one after that. Overall, the team played well. I feel very calm and happy with the team. We lost against a great opponent. It helps us improve; this kind of game."