Atlético lived a nightmare in the derby against Real Madrid. The white team was superior from start to finish, although they achieved their two goals with unfortunate rojiblancos details, and Simeone will have to do several readings of the match, as he made clear at the end of the match, highlighting that “the coach was wrong in the approach and in search of the match. Then try to intervene to improve what was being seen. When the rival is superior it is necessary to congratulate him “.
Outperformed in intensity and pressure from the start
Yes already in salzburg Atleti had been shortened from the start by the rival, who crashed into the stick after three minutes and was not concise on his occasionsBefore the white team, neither the great initial stop by Oblak served to wake up the squad. Simeone opted for the three centrals that are working so well for him this season and only carried out a change in the eleven with respect to the Champions match, Herrera by Saúl. However, Madrid's approach, with Benzema going down to receive the midfielder zone and Casemiro, Kroos and Modric running at ease and receiving without any pressure from the athletic media did not go well at all. Savic, Felipe and Hermoso were left without a reference to fix and Koke and Herrera were constantly outmatched by the white media despite the attempt to collaborate by Llorente and João Félix.
LaLiga Santander
* Data updated as of December 13, 2020
Madrid raised the pressure, He attacked the holder of the mattress ball in each play and made it difficult to exit at all times, despite having an advantage on the scoreboard. Although Hermoso can defend himself better in that facet, athletic defenders suffer. In addition, Carrasco and Trippier could not take flight as a band and were always locked in their own field. The new Atlético, who has grown a lot with possession and re-squeezing in recovery, did not appear on the scene throughout the game. He returned to his own field and handed the ball to the rival, that with the scoreboard in favor he could dedicate himself to alternating infinite possessions without having to risk in the pass to despair the offensive mattress players. If players like Kroos, Modric or Benzema live so comfortable it is a downfall. The rojiblancos players could accuse the load of minutes, but the approach so retracted was a favor for the white half. Perhaps the physique of Kondogbia or Torreira could have played an important role in raising the pressure lines.
Stopped ball
Atlético conceded two goals in 63 minutes, the same as in the previous ten games. I had never before played at a disadvantage on the scoreboard in the League. And, despite being far inferior to Real Madrid in the game throughout the game, so many came from set pieces, a facet where the white team usually punishes Simeone's. The first in a corner in which Herrera, a mark of a Casemiro who had already scored a goal for Atleti in this facet years before, he slips and leaves the Brazilian at the mercy. The second in a disputed lateral foul that Savic clears towards the middle and Carvajal shoots from the front by touching the stick and Oblak's back before entering the goal. One of Atleti's specialties in the early years with Simeone and where it is increasingly difficult for him to do more danger. Madrid has taken the measure and it is a weapon with which they have punished the rojiblanco team a lot, including goals in two Champions League finals. If Atleti could not compete with the ball, the goals ended up arriving in isolated plays from set pieces where Madrid was also able to prevail.
Isolated stars
Zidane was clear about the players he wanted to stop and how to do it. To remove Luis Suárez a lot from the area, that he does not go through his best physical condition and loses all his qualities playing in his own field. He did not enjoy any occasion, he could not receive from behind and the unchecks had to be thrown with 50 meters ahead to travel. Stop João Félix with constant help every time he received the ball and Casemiro well on top closing lines of passes. Plugging Llorente's unchecks behind the left side, with a very strong Mendy also physically and who closed all the doors to Trippier's pass that has given so much revenue to Atlético; never let Carrasco face in a one against one to Carvajal and prevent Koke from playing comfortably and pause to give rhythm to the team. The Atlético players who are giving the best performance this course were canceled and only Lemar's entry into the second half provided some stirring and imbalance between lines.
Luis Suárez could not participate in the game and was always at a disadvantage.
Chema Moya (EFE)
Changes without prize
If the main focuses of the team were lost, Simeone decided to replace João Félix with half an hour left and the scoreboard with 1-0 In a change difficult to understand, since the team began to equalize forces and gain in rhythm with the ball. What cannot be accused of Cholo is a lack of interventionism. He saw the team very outdone in the first half and dissolved the line of five to return to four behind, with Hermoso on the left side and Carrasco on the inside. At halftime three changes came, Lemar, Correa and Lodi for Carrasco, Herrera and Felipe. At five minutes the first two were yellow and the Brazilian had made a big mistake. But when you were seeing a participatory Lemar, Llorente and Koke stronger in the middle and the team higher, the Frenchman had the best chance to tie after a center from '14' and did not hit Courtois.
Shortly after, the controversial change from João would arrive, followed by the second white goal. The '7' had been replaced by a Saúl who does not go through a good moment of form, but who he also had a great chance to score and again lost to the Belgian goalkeeper with his header. The change of Kondogbia by SuárezAlthough on the defensive role with the score against, he gave muscle to the center of the field to try to equal forces, but in the final arreón a goal did not come to cut the score. Despite the three substitutions at half-time and moving the team in all possible ways, the game script did not change, Madrid continued to command in the center of the field, arriving before the divided balls, always pressing the exit of the ball and the chances, dropper, did not count on the success of the goal.