Liverpool won 3-1 at home to the Dutch side after goals by Steven Gerrard, Dirk Kuyt and Robbie Keane.
“We have to be realistic,” said Simons after the match. “We never had a chance against Atletico and now Liverpool were simply too good for us. Third place really is the maximum result for us, so we have to focus on that.
“We knew it was going to be a tough match. Therefore, we opted to start with some extra defensive power. However, they scored the opener within five minutes. That was the end of our tactical plan.
“We tried to regroup and get a quick equaliser, but we never came close. It’s not like we played a bad match, but we were just not up to it today.”
