Atlético has missed a golden opportunity in this Champions of unpublished format. The cup was three steps away and the team stumbled on the first one, in the worst way possible. Leipzig was better and Simeone's did not live up to expectations nor what was shown after the confinement. Without spark, without intensity, with proper names that are touched… A defeat that leaves a scar and invites reflection and self-criticism. These were some of the keys.
Favoritism. Atlético's lambskin suits him better. It has been seen on many occasions in Europe and, without going very far, in the round of 16 against Liverpool. When many considered him eliminated, the rojiblanco team responded with a great game in the first leg and a survival exercise in the second leg. In Lisbon, at Atleti He was designated as a candidate and as a favorite against Leipzig. And it was overcome. Except for a section in the second half, there was not a determined team and little authority. It is not the first time it has happened in the Champions League (Leverkusen, Leicester, PSV …), but this time the slip was goodbye.
The board failed. Nagelsmann beat Simeone in a direct duel. What Leipzig wanted was played more than what Atlético would have liked, which did not find solutions on the fly. The Germans used a system to defend (4-2-3-1) and another to attack (similar to a 3-3-3-1) that Cholo did not know how to replicate. In the middle, Kampl played at will (He gave 44 passes in the opposite field; more than Herrera, Saúl and Koke combined, 38). Llorente and Diego Costa pressed in vain and Leipzig especially enjoyed Upamecano, very loose all night. Only with the entry of João Félix and his game between the lines was balanced. Ideas were missing.
No spark. In the first half, only Carrasco showed some inspiration with the ball, helped by Lodi on the left wing. The right practically did not exist in attack. Herrera, Saúl and Koke were outmatched in midfield. After the break, he entered João Félix and with a pipe, a couple of drives and the action of the penalty and the goal, brought Atleti closer to victory. In the absence of a good team game, individual solutions were missed which, in these duels to heads or tails, often decide.
And without hitting. Between Llorente, Diego Costa and Morata did not put together a single auction, neither on goal nor out. The one who tried the most was Savic (two) and only Carrasco also tested Gulacsi. An evil that comes from afar this season. Some days because it is not generated (like Thursday) and others because it fails too much, but Atlético closes the course with 68 goals, the worst record since 2007. For comparison, in 13-14 they were 116.
Dock. The five-change rule suited Atlético very well after the break, as they have a large and high-quality squad capable of changing a match with a triple substitution. Against Leipzig, plan B was limited to entering João Félix and Morata (and Felipe, already in addition, as a forward). belt I was on sick leave in Madrid, Thomas He arrived very just in form (he still sat on the bench) and Vitolo warmed up to go 1-0 but did not participate. And Atleti was not seen with excess strength.
Ambition. If the plan was to reserve the changes for a arreón in the extension, it is clear that it did not work. The worst moment for Leipzig was after 1-1, but Atlético didn't smell blood. He was not aggressive in the opening stretch either, a plan that seems reserved for when he plays at home.