Chelsea counterattack liquidates Atlético

Atlético was eliminated against Chelsea and will have to attempt the assault on the Champions League next season. A goal from Ziyech in the first half in a great counterattack from the English team decided the second leg. The 2-0 came in discount. The Cholo team tried in every possible way, but in two matches the rojiblanco team has not scored a goal against their rival and thus it is impossible to win. The Madrid team will now have to focus on LaLiga.

Atlético was clear from the beginning that if they wanted to pass they had to put pressure on their rival. Luis Suárez, Carrasco, João Félix, Marcos Llorente, Koke were employed in this task … every time Chelsea tried to get the ball played from behind. The English team, meanwhile, were in no hurry to handle the ball and only resorted to kicking when their players were truly compromised. If Chelsea saved that first line of pressure, it caused danger. Atlético started well, with a couple of arrivals near Mendy, one through Lodi and the other through João Félix. But the whole of the Premier was little by little dominating the crash and reaching the vicinity of Oblak. Tuchel's team also had it clear: minimum respite for João Félix and suffocate Marcos Llorente every time he received.

If Atlético pushed the rival's exit, Chelsea did the same and Koke and Saúl lost some balls that could cost their team dearly. Atlético asked for a couple of penalties for actions on Luis Suárez and Carrasco, although it seems complicated that in Europe they take penalties like this. Anyway, especially Azpilicueta played it. After half an hour into the game, Atlético began to command and some of its key players began to appear. Almost when Cholo's team was better, his rival's goal arrived, in a very fast, vertical play, well braided with a final shot by Ziyech. In a rojiblanca attack action, the English team made a manual counterattack and put the 1-0 on the scoreboard. A blow for an Atlético who was beginning to believe in the possibility of scoring a goal and making the tie difficult for his rival. In the 38th minute Atlético was able to score with an arrival of Marcos Llorente on the wing to whose center no one arrived. João Félix launched and saved the Chelsea goalkeeper.

The 1-0 hurt the Cholo team, who had a difficult time, with Chelsea not only playing but also reaching Oblak's goal. The rojiblancos understood that a 2-0 at halftime would have been definitive, so they reached the intermission with the idea that it was a feat at the restart.

The beginning of the second half made the approach of each team very clear: those of Cholo now with no other option than to go for the goal and Chelsea waiting for new counterattacks to sentence. The home team was able to do it with a great gallop from Werner and a good save from Oblak. And also with a shot from Ziyech, answered in the same way by the Atlético goal. Chelsea crouched back and put diagonals to their two ends, who were measured with Savic and Giménez in the open field. Simeone moved the bench, first he put Dembélé for a missing Carrasco and then Correa for Luis Suárez, in one of those decisions that will be discussed in the next few hours. Then it was the French who was the most advanced rojiblanco. Later Lemar entered for Trippier. Atlético did not have great chances, although at the time of the game Dembélé was close to reaching a Correa center.

Atlético tried on the right with Llorente as the right lane, with Lemar handling the ball and with João Félix behind the striker thrown to the left. The Portuguese had it in the absence of a quarter of an hour, but the Chelsea goalkeeper responded well. And also with ten minutes to go when his shot touched the post. Atlético tried and just when he was most involved in the job, Savic was sent off, which ended up eliminating Atlético, although João Félix had the tie, but Mendy left a clean sheet. And almost in the final play came 2-0, in another great counterattack from Chelsea.