Diego Simeone hails impact of Atletico Madrid substitutes

The La Liga champions led the pack in the tenth moment when Tiago headed past Iker Casillas from a corner, before Cristiano Ronaldo leveled from the punishment spot.

Arda Turan - one of the players to join the activity from the seat - settled the derby when he cleared in an exertion 14 minutes from time.

What's more Simeone, who viewed from the stands as he kept on sering a touchline boycott, said Arda, alongside individual substitutions Antoine Griezmann and Mario Suarez, were vital to his side's prosperity at Santiago Bernabeu.

"I think we began well in the first half and later I didn't prefer the way the group was playing," he said. "In the second half with Koke in the middle we had more control and Arda provided for us more inventiveness and Griezmann more pace.

"The strategic progressions worked extremely well and in the last 15 minutes we were playing in precisely the way we are looking to.

"What I am most satisfied about today is that the players who fell off the seat did what we were expecting of them and did it well."