Atlético could not win at the Camp Nou and It will depend on the result of tonight at Real Madrid-Sevilla to know if it is still located in the first place of LaLiga or lose the leadership after ruling almost the entire championship. The white team could tie the rojiblancos on points and with the victory of Valdebebas granted by the golaverage would be located above, but Atlético only focuses on itself.
Immersed more than ever in game by game, he knows that he can only worry about winning his last three games and waiting for events in everything that is not in his power. For none of the candidates for the title it is being easy to add in the last days and each rival is a stone in the way. Therefore, It only remains to look at Wednesday's game against Real Sociedad and stay with the positive aspects of the duel against Barcelona, which were not few. Although the goalless draw did not satisfy those of Simeone, Atlético had a great first half and prowled the goal of Ter Stegen without success in the culmination.
In defense, the team was very solid and left a clean sheet for the fourth game of the last five. Oblak had little intervention thanks to the fantastic collective work and the security of the line of three centrals formed by Savic, Felipe and Hermoso. And when it was his turn to appear, he did so brilliantly, with a great hand to block Messi. And in attack, Atleti became strong again from the high pressure, stealing in the rival field and attacking with speed behind the backs. Simeone placed a clearly offensive eleven, with Koke at the controls, Llorente, Lemar, Carrasco, Correa and Suárez in search of hurting Barça.
And with the Frenchman's injury as soon as the duel began, he kept the drawing, giving entrance to Saúl de Carrilero to place Carrasco inside and maintain that position of a vertical player in front of Koke that dislodged the three Blaugrana centrals. With the captain at a high level while the gasoline lasted, Atlético did not leave at any time despite the apparent lack of defensive specialists in the center of the field and that position in Carrasco worked for him that so many difficulties put Mingueza mainly with his driving and dribbling ability.
The rojiblanco team He also knew how to do damage with the ball and although he failed to score, he felt much superior in the first half, commanding the reading of the game throughout a Camp Nou. An Atlético more similar to the one at the beginning of the course, sure of the steps to follow and with the intensity that had been lacking in one of the last exits. “The mental” will be decisive in this end of the course, explained Cholo before the match against Barça and the team came out strong after the draw. In the second half it was more difficult for him to keep up the pace and some players like Koke or Carrasco ended up exhaustedBut he still didn't let pressure or need get the better of him.
In addition, with the party in Barcelona, Atleti said goodbye to the marathon of three consecutive starts at the end of the championship with a balance of a victory (against Elche), a draw at the Camp Nou and the defeat at San Mamés. But this week he returns to the Wanda Metropolitano where he feels much stronger and will receive Real Sociedad and Osasuna on Wednesday and Sunday respectively with the clear letter of score six points in their last home games this season. The tie opens the door to lose the lead tonight, but the other two candidates face off against each other and it will be a battle for points. What's more, There are three days ahead and whatever happens there will be nothing decided. Therefore, game by game becomes more important than ever, the way forward for the squad in search of a title they have been fighting for all season.