Diego Pablo Simeone admitted Atlético Madrid were unable to maintain their performance after Bayern Munich scored the opening goal in their 2-0 defeat at the hands of the German champions.
"We need to maintain the level of performance we showed until the first goal. They are a top, powerful team. We know their strengths, just as we know our own. We always try to improve. Until the first goal, we competed very well," Simeone told reporters after the game.
The Atlético boss acknowledged Bayern's physical superiority, but insisted his side's mistakes proved costly.
"We know about their physical attributes; it's always been that way. Goals always come from mistakes. This time, it was our turn to make them. That's football. We need to recover for Sunday and focus on what's coming next," he added.
Simeone also defended Robin Le Normand following the defender's costly error, which contributed to Bayern's victory.
"Football is built on many good individual moments, but also on many mistakes. Football is full of errors, which is why there are so many goals. The team that can take advantage of those mistakes is the one that can score more goals.
"Robin is a very decent, noble and hardworking person. It's normal for him to be angry after making a mistake."
Reflecting on Atlético's approach against Bayern's pressing, Simeone felt his side had managed the situation well before conceding.
"We managed it quite well. Sorloth's presence allowed us to avoid having too many players dropping deep, as we usually do. We could opt for a more direct style of play, which is what we did. Alex's positioning gave us a lot until he ran out of energy.
"It was a game that we had under control. We were playing the way we wanted until the goal came. Then, after the second goal, it was over."
Simeone was also asked about the passing of De Miguel, but chose to focus on the importance of family support.
"I always believe that questions like these put you in a difficult position and expose you. The only thing that matters is that the family stays united. Anything else we say could lead us to make a mistake."
Looking ahead, the Argentine acknowledged that Atlético must raise their level if they are to compete with Europe's elite in the decisive stages of the season.
"We know that when we face top opponents, we can lose. Against Bayern or Liverpool, we know that this can happen.
"We have to work hard so that we can reach these games towards the end of the season in the same way we have managed to do sometimes in the past. But to achieve that, we have to reach 120%, because 100% simply isn't enough for us."