Minor injury, back in a big way

Everything started as expected. City, as Guardiola’s teamwith the ball and playing from behind. Atleti, as Cholo’s team, en bloc, waiting for the error, against, without fissure. The two coaches as if telling each other that Oasis chorus. Don’t you know you might find a better place to play? (Don’t you know you could find a better place to play?). The slates screeching like tectonic plates in their rubbing.

Simeone surprised with the inclusion of Vrsaljko, De Paul on the bench, Pep with De Bruyne everywhere. Atleti, in their confinement, was just long passes in search of runs to nowhere from João and Griezmann. They were soon stopped by City. A City that played and played looking for cracks in that team locked up in their field. Cancelo was adding meters to the right. The first Uy it was his. A limp shot between nosy legs like axes. To the water that fell from the sky was added that of the leather, that of the ball, that of Guardiola. Only one thing was missing: finisher for so much rain from lateral center.

You ain’t ever going to burn my heart out (nunca vas a quemar mi corazón). That seemed to shout the City. Steal the ball, control. The forward pressure, yours. The recovery after loss, yours. The plays, the intentions. The ball was a mirage in red and white boots, incapable of three passes in a row. The pressure of City on their necks, on their boots, like bridles. Everything happened before Oblak. 20 men at his feet. Theirs, the rojiblancos, without losing an inch of position, granite, bus, arranged in a 5-5-0. The others, the rivals, touch that touch. The music of the party at the antipodes of rock. Sponsored Danacol. In the City of Manchester there were only defenses.

Atleti managed to escape English pressure twice, twice, both with the same ending: none. João ran alone, Lodi couldn’t find It bites. City’s touch became parsimonious in that desperate exercise of stamping on the wall over and over again. And another. Reinildo was the man, cover that cover. The blackboard that he commanded was that of Cholo. The first part came without shots on goal. Guardiola without a pure ‘9’ among all his cards. El Cholo because, in 45 minutes, his men made only 20 passes in the opposite field. It was heroic to watch the game and not succumb to yawning.

But don’t look back in anger (but don’t look back in anger). Pep’s eyes lost on the grass, serious, while the teams returned from the break. Atleti had already consumed 45′ of these quarters raised at 180′. But, if the first part had been to show the cards, the second would be to play them. Immediately another intention was seen. Gündogan managed to sneak into the area to look for the shot in the first minute. Savic deflected. Atleti responded with a counter, but Llorente’s motorcycle was out of gas. De Bruyne began to turn on his flashlight between the lines. Guardiola delved into the front of a rehearsed play, after a foul by Reinildo on Mahrez that ended with another. Now De Bruyne, Cruella, shot and forced Oblak low. The goalkeeper’s miracles could not be missing at night, the padlock. San Jan didn’t block but it didn’t matter: with his foot he frightened away the danger in his area, when Rodrigo ran towards the ball. On a set piece, Laporte also looked for, with a header outside by a span.

Step outside, because summertime is in bloom. If at the hour Cholo introduced a triple substitution (Correa, Cunha and De Paul), in minute 69 Pep did it. Since Plan A hadn’t worked, Plan B went in: Grealish, Jesus, and Foden. The last was the man: the drop of water that bursts the stone, the blackboard of Cholo. She only had to dance with De Bruyne. She received between the lines and found a passageway between Reinildo’s legs to send him a ball so that he could unlock the padlock and find the goal. He followed the game to his own. The City plays and plays, but calmer, no longer in a hurry. Atleti injured but standing, with the return, almost, where Simeone wanted it. And with his head already in Madrid and that other Oasis song for the day. Today is going to be the day (Hoy va a ser el día). That.