Atalanta-Real Madrid Mendy arrives on time

Madrid was left half and Valdebebas was brought to a moderately alive tie that at this time should not be. He more than fulfilled the first part of the plan, that of not making a mistake behind. Courtois thanked him, his eyes only getting tired. But he punctured up again, with an invalid starting lead and hopelessly on the bench, when everything went to his face. Against an opponent who played three-quarters of the game with ten and who does not have a defense to brag about, he brought a meager advantage with a far right from Mendy. Rarity upon rarity. It's Benzema or nothing. Not much to stay alive in this jungle.

The Atalanta is a team as unusual as it is insolent, an adventurer in the calcium, a palm tree in the snow. His plan is to solve everything by shooting where there is no custom And he has done great with that homicidal or suicidal impudence, depending on how you look at it, of the newcomer. A daring that feeds a 63-year-old skipper, Gasperini, with the optimism of a cadet. “We win or we learn” is their motto. The denial of defeat. That wave of enthusiasm ran into a Madrid on crutches, deprived of his most reputable figures, forced to play with what he is wearing, with three great midfielders and a goalkeeper to take over the entire business while the doctors rebuild the squad for the return leg.

Isco by Mariano

And in Valdebebas Zidane also thought putting Isco as a simulated battering ram. The French were served 24 drinking minutes from Malaga in Zorrilla to clean Mariano. Any excuse seems good to him to get from eleven to nine that was never to his liking. ANDn three and a half months, Isco had only been a starter in Alcoy's debauchery, but to overcome that first pressure-pincer, almost individual, from Atalanta, players with good footing were needed and that he does retain.

The Italians did not change the score. His first time was a tentative header from Gosens, his long-distance left back. That is his strength: stretch the bands, steal high and soon, get the matter going. Madrid's countermeasure was logical: ball, ball and ball. The plan was to extend the possessions to take fire from Atalanta, which at the entrance to the stadium was received between flares by a group of fans, support incompatible with the pandemic. Except here, ground zero of the first wave.

The expulsion of Freuler

And it was a binge of passes from Madrid that changed the match. Touched and touched the white team until Vinicius found Mendy and Freuler knocked him down as he headed for Gollini. The Swiss saw an exaggerated red for an action much less punishable than the one previously overlooked by the German Stieler in a shot of the goal to Vinicius himself in an all or nothing start. Mistaken by mistake, and Atalanta with ten with almost an hour and a quarter ahead. And immediately, the second mishap: Zapata's muscle injury, nine of reference. Gasperini was losing the match of the century due to two unexpected escapes.

Madrid, with this double blow of the tailwind, was abandoning its academic vision of the duel. He progressively went from survivor to dominant, aware that he could lower the blind to the tie, but Isco pulled for the organization instead of for the definition, Vinicius barely prospered and Asensio knows very little. That left a Madrid more collector than hunter, although ran into some notable opportunities: a crossed shot by Nacho after a surprise incursion, a half-turn bitten by Isco, a distant shot by Modric and another by Vinicius, a soft header by Asensio, another by Casemiro that Gollini rejected with his chest … Madrid went to rest with the game in the palm of the hand and also with the recurring reproach of not throwing the noose for lack of gunpowder.

Mendy's right

Atalanta was condemned to a role that is unknown, defend in their area, bail water, forget about the goal. It is not his strong suit. Madrid, already convinced that the target had become easy, he pressed up, recovered quickly and came frequently to the area. Modric, Vinicius and Kroos had the goal very close at hand, but their shots always found a providential touch on Atalanta's defenders.

With so much traffic in the Neroazurra area, the body asked Mariano and with half an hour ahead ZIdane decided that he was the only one capable of pulling the trigger. He relieved Vinicius even though he had bought more Asensio tickets. Gasperini resigned himself to that 0-0 that scares him. So swapped Muriel's nose for Ilicic's expert left-hander, but without doubling his attack. It wasn't the day.

Madrid began to get late. With the physique of tip in white the piece was not collected and after the hour of party began to weaken. The chain of low-key opportunities was interrupted. The game was still one-color, with Courtois as the listener, but Madrid had already lowered the offensive volume due to lack of strength. Too many matches concentrated on the same legs. Arribas and Hugo Duro arrived with the oxygen, recruits at the front. The solution did not arrive there, but on a right hand placed by Mendy from the edge of the area. Strange, but platinum.