Atlético is left to nothing: without football or spark

Atlético had neither football nor spark. He did not shoot at goal and Asenjo had a very placid afternoon. Villarreal settled for positioning themselves well and not conceding a goal. He defended himself perfectly and his main danger was lateral Mario. Atlético unloaded all their artillery against Granada. Then he has run out of ideas. There are games in which nothing happens. This was one of them.

Asenjo did not have to intervene in the first half. Atlético passed the center of the field without problems but reaching the goalkeeper's domain was something else. Villarreal closed their right wing well, where Lodi and João Félix tried to enter. Not a joke out there. As soon as the Portuguese received he had two players on top. They did let Trippier a little more loose. The Englishman always finds the hole to penetrate but almost never hits the center. Sometimes it passes, in others it does not arrive and in many opportunities it fails in that control that is decisive. Through the center it was impossible. Villarreal did not shoot much on goal either: once and Oblak took Mario's hand away.

Nice game for the analysts, to talk about the good players of both teams. First time of details, with Gerard Moreno sacrificing himself in defense and making a hat to his rival. For the viewer, a tostón. But of the fat ones. Neither team made mistakes, so at halftime, no goals. Logical. From Luis Suárez, no news.

The party did not change afterwards. All well positioned, without losing position, without giving away a ball, without exposing anything … Mario, once again, found a loophole, but Oblak had no problems to derail the occasion. Villarreal did not feel the fear until minute 57 and it was thanks to a lateral center from Lodi. Very little thing. Atlético's first real shot came after the time of the match, a clue of what the game was. The shock already began to dominate the rojiblanco team more, but without moving anyone. In the absence of play, lateral centers. But a lie. The kind that a player does in case the flute sounds. For Asenjo, a training session.

In the 70th minute Simeone tried to turn the clash in another direction with the entry of Diego Costa, Marcos Llorente and Carrasco. El Cholo does have a bench to revolutionize the games. Súarez left without barely touching the ball. In the first game he scored two and gave an assist. In the second he had one and he failed it. In the third, not even that. I have no doubt that he will get used to it. Five minutes later João Félix left, annulled throughout the game. Villarreal knew that with the Portuguese out of combat, Atlético have many problems putting together the game.

The new forward was formed by Marcos Llorente and Costa. The game seemed to cheer up a bit. Gerard Moreno made Lodi a suit and in the other area Costa was about to arrive at a center in Llorente. Details. Just a matter of details. The worst thing for Atlético is that it gave the impression of feeling powerless to create danger for the rival area. The king of last season's draw returned to equalize and drop two points, this time at his stadium. Villarreal will be happy: from 4-0 at the Camp Nou to 0-0 at the Wanda Metropolitano there is an abyss.