Diego Simeone described Club Brugge as Atletico Madrid's "most intense opponent" following their 3-3 draw in the first leg of their Champions League play-off tie.

Simeone watched on as his team were two goals to the good at half-time thanks to Julian Alvarez's eighth-minute penalty and Ademola Lookman's stoppage-time strike. 

However, Brugge hit back twice in the space of nine minutes after the break through Raphael Onyedika and Nicolo Tresoldi, but there was yet more drama to unfold. 

Joel Ordonez's 79th-minute own goal handed Atletico in front again, but in the final minute of the 90, Christos Tzolis finished past Jan Oblak to seal a share of the spoils. 

It was the first time Brugge had come from 2+ goals down at the midway point of a match to avoid defeat across the two competitions (16th occasion, lost the first 15). 

When asked to explain the draw, Simeone told Movistar: "[It was] the match we imagined, the most intense opponent in the Champions League.

"A lot of young players who work very well, we knew it wasn't going to be easy. We had a fairly controlled first half, where we could have scored two more goals.

"In the second half, they got into the game, it was not the same, we didn't attack as we did before.

"However, it was 2-2, we then went 2-3 up and that last goal appeared to be a misinterpretation of how we defended, and they took advantage of the opportunity."

Atletico are now winless in their last five away games in the knockout stages of the Champions League (D1 L4); their joint-longest run in the competition (previously five between February 2015 and May 2016).

But they had their chances to win the game, having registered an expected goals (xG) total of 2.36 from their 13 shots, marginally higher than Brugge's 2.22 from 17 attempts.

And it was their first 45 minutes that proved to be their downfall. Indeed, the result saw Atletico fail to win a European Cup/Champions League match despite having been 2+ goals up at half-time (23rd occasion, won the first 22).

"The game is 90 minutes, not 45. Everything goes hand in hand with what is happening," Simeone said. "We reacted well to their two goals.

"The team competed very well against an opponent that is not easy here. We knew it.

"If it ends in the first half, and we see it that way, yes," Simeone added on whether he felt Atletico were deserving of a victory. 

"If we look at the context, the draw is fair, we both had situations, we took advantage of them. The second leg at home and we hope for a great game."