Diego Simeone benches entire Atletico Madrid starting XI ahead of Arsenal tie

Atletico Madrid will travel to London this week to face Arsenal in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal clash.

Ahead of the crunch tie, Diego Simeone pulled off a managerial masterstroke at the Mestalla, opting to rest every single regular starter. Despite the wholesale changes, his second-string side, and a pair of inspired debutants, secured a vital 2-0 victory over Valencia.

Simeone proved why he’s ranked among the best managers in football history by giving other players in the squad a chance, while keeping his best legs afresh.

Antoine Griezmann (R) congratulates Iker Luque for scoring the opening goal against Valencia. (Photo by JOSE JORDAN / AFP via Getty Images)

Despite the number of first team players missing the game, Atletico looked remarkably composed. They controlled large phases of the game and proved that Simeone’s philosophy runs deep through the entire squad, regardless of who is wearing the shirt.

It was a dream debut for 20-years-old Iker Luque who broke the deadlock in the 74th minute with a clinical finish at the near post. The youngster found the net only 10 minutes after being introduced from the bench.

He was not the only teenager to haunt Valencia, as 18-year-old Cubo effectively ended the contest eight minutes later.

Cubo showed great composure to collect a clever throughball from Antoine Griezmann and slot the ball low past Stole Dimitrievski. After a brief VAR review, the goal was confirmed, sparking wild celebrations among the Atletico substitutes.

By securing the win, Atletico extended their league scoring streak to 10 consecutive matches.

Simeone will now be eager to see his players turn up against Arsenal as they aim to qualify for this year’s UEFA Champions League final.

It’s all to play for against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal as Last week’s Champions League semi-final first leg finished all square, with the two sides playing out a 1-1 draw.