Atleti clicks on its curve

Another team in relegation appeared for the Metropolitano and, voilá, Atlético went back to being the one it used to. The one before LaLiga 15. Sad, crude, deranged. With emptiness made routine. The necessity that prevailed was that of Granada. Surviving dryly ahead of the Champions League. A point that does not take off the descent but pushes. While he snatched him away from him, never stop believing Atleti that he returned to being everything except Atleti.

Karanka took notes from 4′. The match was his second time with Granada, with half a training session in front and in relegation he traveled to Madrid. He did not give time to revolutions, his eleven was continuity, with a defense of four and the return of Luis Suárez. The revolution belonged to Cholo. Six changes from Sunday. If from the Calderón’s need a child emerged to put the club on his back, Fernando Torres, from yesterday’s Cholo’s need (the casualties for the remainder of the season, João and Lemar, the sanctions, Kondogbia and Felipe), did another. Javi Serrano, for the first time starting in the pivot.

Atlético started comfortable, with Reinildo on the side, looking more at the opposing goal than, as always, at their own. The left was his way into the box. Carrasco stalking, looking for the gaps, the spaces. But when they got to this one, De Paul did not get along with Koke, Correa with Griezmann, nobody finished off the centers. All the speed and mobility of him was extinguished there. In this one, an army of red and green, in homage to the colors of the Granada shield. His need was life. yesi didn’t win, at least i didn’t lose. From minute one, his was an exercise in endurance, survival. And Quini with a card from 4′ before the onslaught of Reinildo and Carrasco.

Serrano started settled, playing easy, without getting complicated. Nervous, but not wrinkled, except for two rare turnovers, in the red zone, the first part of it was good. It was in minute 20 that Granada pulled its head from Maximiano’s feet and studied his clothes. There were no injuries. Powder, little. The rojiblanco dominance had actually been blank, with only one real shot: De Paul, easy Maximiano. Those of Karanka saw and dared. Why not. As they began to grow into long possessions, GRiezmann fell in his area. He was running to control a center from Carrasco when he felt a bite on his ankle: plate by Víctor Díaz. His bloody ankle did not lead Gil Manzano to punishment or on screen. At that time, Atlético’s spark had gone out from doing so much at night in the area. The first electrical minutes had vanished, like the rain with which Madrid had dawned. Leaden football, without chances. And it would be worse.

The second part began without Serrano and without Reinildo. Vrsaljko and the other Suárez from the match returned from the tunnel. The Cholo. The Uruguayan. Simeone looking for those centers without an auctioneer from before to now fly over his Zone. The Atleti appeared with another air, with more intention and fang. Griezmann wanted to take him to the scoreboard right away, with a dry shot he went a foot wide, after a shot by Correa. The rojiblancos dusted off their kalashnikovs and aimed at Maximiano’s net from outside the box as well. But it was pure foam. The Nasrid army was ready to return to the feet of Maximiano. It was ordered martial, it thickened and he only had to blow. Ten minutes after the break Atleti was as before. Stamped on a pediment and half light.

No ideas, no claw, no midfield. Very slow Koke, Llorente and De Paul, as in all those games before LaLiga 14. And when the Atleti is not intense it becomes vulgar. Many names, zero goal. Neither Griezmann, nor Carrasco, nor Suárez, nor Correa. The most dangerous thing that happened was Savic. In Maximiano’s, looking headfirst. In Oblak’s, when it occurred to him to play with a ball on the front with a rival on the back of his neck, in the spirit of Felipe.

The minutes passed and the Metropolitan began to chew the evil of the teams in decline, one of the curves of the season for Cholo. Because Cunha either. And Karanka added Bacca to his order. He tried two claws against Oblak’s nets while Carrasco pulled the shirts of his teammates, his boots, so that the danger would fly over Maximiano’s area again. But that was just intentions. Because Cunha’s ball went to the post. Because everyone else was just crazy oops. Carrasco hit the grass out of sheer impotence. Not even Giuliano Simeone’s debut managed to do it Atleti.