58th minute of match between Athletic of Madrid and the RB Leipzig. Diego Pablo Simeone decided to enter Joao Felix instead of Hector Herrera. Until that minute, the rojiblanco team had been a true shadow with respect to the team that dazzled at the end of the league championship. A team at the mercy of the German team that was not quite comfortable on the field.
His entry to the field changed the face of the team completely. The colchoneros began to dominate the game and the best minutes arrived. Little by little the occasions were happening until Joao Felix He entered the area and was knocked down. The referee did not hesitate and pointed it out. He RB Leipzig nor did he protest and the VAR did not have to enter.
On the field of play there were players with many more stripes than Joao But the 20-year-old wanted responsibility and decided to throw the maximum penalty. A penalty that he threw stuck to the stick and did not reach Gulacsi for very little … It was the tie. To the Athletic he was seen in other ways.
Everything indicated that the forward was going to be a prophet in his land. A few kilometers away from where his football career began, he had just changed a game that had become very ugly for the colchoneros. His entry had revolutionized the team. Undoubtedly Joao It was one of the great attractions of the Athletic of Madrid in this Champions League and that was noticeable in Lisbon. Despite the social distance, you could tell that the Portuguese was at home. For some posters and shouts from some fans who came to support the team during their concentration in Lisbon.
However when everything seemed controlled…. the jug of cold water arrived. An own goal from Savic he left the colchoneros eliminated when everything indicated that the game was going to last until 120 minutes … as Saúl had pointed out in the previous meeting. But after that goal in the 88th minute, the colchoneros were unable to get the game through.
Maybe the Athletic of Madrid you have missed one of your great opportunities to get hold of the Champions League. He was three games away from achieving the only title that is missing for both the club and the Cholo Simeone and a large part of his pupils. …
Either way. The time has come to show that Atlético de Madrid has “another way of understanding life”. The controversial phrase that has accompanied the team during these days in Lisbon and that has raised so many blisters among fans of rival clubs.
Despite this elimination, the colchoneros have sealed a campaign in which they have fulfilled the objective of entering the Champions League and continue one more season fighting with the best. A challenge that has not been easy. After the squad has undergone a complete overhaul, after much of the defense left (Juanfran, Filipe, Godín and Luke) and some important players like Griezmann or Rodrigo. The transition campaign is over.