The Atletico Madrid captain returned to the starting line-up for the Metropolitano meeting and felt his side had done enough in the opening period to put the game beyond Barcelona.
Instead, Giuliano Simeone’s goal was cancelled out by Fermín López before the interval, with the Barcelona midfielder scoring again in the second half to secure a 2-1 victory.
“Effectiveness decided the match,” Koke told Movistar. “The team had a great first half. We had chances to kill the game and we did not take them. With one shot and a rebound at the end of the first half, they scored.
“Football is like that. It is about being clinical, and they were more clinical than us. There is nothing to reproach the team for. We have to carry on like this because there is a lot of LaLiga still to play. We have to keep going and not dwell on the defeat.”
Koke felt Barcelona had taken greater control after the break, but believed Atlético had opportunities to extend their advantage before the visitors turned the game around.
“The team came out well enough after half-time. They had control, but we had Julián’s chances. Nothing much was happening in the match and then the second goal arrived, which hurt us.”
The result represented a second consecutive defeat for Atlético, but the midfielder was already looking towards the opportunity to put things right.
“We are looking forward to playing the next match and winning it,” he said.
Koke also praised Pablo Barrios, highlighting the midfielder’s contribution to the team and expressing his hope that he can maintain his current level.
“Pablo is a great player. Hopefully he continues at this level because he gives us a lot.”
The captain’s message was one of perspective rather than alarm. Atlético had created opportunities against Barcelona but had not made them count, while their opponents had taken advantage of their own chances. For Koke, the response now matters more than allowing the defeat to affect the team’s confidence.