Atlético continues to show two faces, one very decisive when facing a league game and another with more doubts in both areas in the Champions League. Against Lokomotiv, the rojiblanco team again crashed with goalkeeper Guilherme after a start looking for the goal insistently, but as the minutes passed, they lost gasoline until ending with a goalless draw that complicates the situation in the group.
In the first leg, more than one point could not be added, despite the fact that in Moscow the rojiblanco team was much more constant in their arrivals. The Brazilian goalkeeper has become a nightmare for the rojiblancos in this group stage and it is the great culprit that the second place is in a fist. Adding just two points against Lokomotiv gives life to the Russians and also to Salzburg, aware that Atlético has yet to host Bayern and travel to the Austrian city on the last day.
The balance in the top European competition is not good: four games played, one win, two draws and one loss. Only five points in the first four days, which means the worst score of the Cholo era after the 2017-18 season, when the team had three points at this point and ended up falling to the Europa League, a tournament that would eventually win. If in the League the goals are coming very smoothly, with this new cheerful game full of offensive players who are Atlético as the second highest scoring team in the competition (18 goals), Despite having two days less than most rivals, in the Champions League there are only four goals in four days, three of them in the match against Salzburg, the only red and white victory. Against Bayern and Lokomotiv at home, the rojiblanco locker was left to zero despite having multiple chances in both games and a disallowed goal.
In Russia, the lack of success was also paid and Giménez's goal was equalized with a penalty by Miranchuk in one of the few Lokomotiv arrivals. The team led by Nikolic would practically not shoot at the Wanda Metropolitano, although they had one last time in the discount that sparked the rojiblanco scare. The 0-0 was the first match that Oblak left a clean sheet in the top European competition this season. Despite the fact that in the League he has only conceded two goals in eight matchdays even playing teams with the potential of Barcelona or Villarreal, in the Champions League the Slovenian had received seven goals in the first three games.
Four were from Bayern, a goal scoring machine and a practically unstoppable team, but against which we will have to give the maximum next week to try to clarify the situation in the group. The Germans will arrive with the first position of the group already in mathematics. In the victory against Salzburg, he was worried about receiving two goals from notable defensive failures. And a hand from Herrera signaled through the VAR was the goal that ended up costing the victory in Moscow. Atlético is already focused on Saturday's game against Valencia, this competition system does not give a break. But out of the corner of his eye he knows that he will have to raise the benefits in the Champions League if he wants to be in the eighth, and for this it will be essential to transfer league reliability to the European tournament. Simeone is aware that they still depend on himself, but you have to be decisive in both areas.