Real Madrid-Atalanta Vinicius adorns the pass

You will have to get used to this. That explosive team from Zidane's European trilogy has resulted in an artificer who makes a living deactivating his adversary. Who knows how much it will give him in the Champions League, but it was enough against Atalanta, which had fewer bells than what was announced on the poster. He pressed well, he did not hide, he had courage, but it takes something more to climb the high altar of football. What Madrid has, which gradually became convinced that it has a future in Europe. The night helped Vinicius a lot, who recovered his devilish version.

From Zidane's point of view, there was little to decide. The ultra-champion Madrid will die without a will. So as long as the bodies endure (and endure), the Frenchman will continue with his extremely profitable group of thirty-somethings who have come to more. And without Hazard, who has not let go of his crutches for a year and a half. The position he leaves free is the one that comes and goes. Zidane would like to believe in Asensio, the most gifted, but he can no longer find arguments. Rodrygo sees him to the other side. And ends up pulling Vinicius, an unfinished genius project. It costs him the goal, it costs him the last pass, it costs him to play on the right, it costs him to take office, but He has that something that he likes so much in Madrid: the feeling that something will always happen with him (not always good). Butragueño, 40 years ago, already cultivated the genus

So Madrid faced the duel with the classics and three centrals, suspecting that that blessed Atalanta madness would come over them, that wild pressure and the man with up to seven players at the exit of the ball, those intrusive sides and a more moderate attack than usual (Gasperini left cumbia halfway through by failing to line up Duván Zapata). Atalanta is not a comfortable couple, because it lacks blue blood and in a competition as endogamous as the Champions League, it sneaks that one of your kind (from Juventus up) throws you and it is ashamed that one of the other does. It is better defended to die at the hands of a patrician than of a commoner.

An Atalanta without finishing

Gasperini's team, a quarter-finalist last year, doesn't even have the skin of lamb. Less if it comes at a disadvantage. His departure was expansive, invading the Madrid field, putting it into gear. Play all or nothing: if you hold your first line of pressure, you overwhelm; if the rival surpasses it, it is in danger. Apply your plan with sun and shade, in Bergamo or far away, before young and old.

But Madrid came out sufficiently warned that the scorpion is as dangerous as the tiger. The three center-backs protected him well, although, with many blind spots at the start, he was forced to play long too many times, and neither Benzema nor Vinicius were born to win air disputes. After three minutes, Muriel put Gosens against Courtois. The left-hander fell the ball on the right. God gave bread to those who have no teeth. That saved Madrid.

Gasperini's team, then, feigned a lot and gave little. He bothered Madrid, tried to lock him up, but did not arrive in real danger for many minutes. Neither did Zidane's team, which was swinging on Mendy's goal in Bergamo. Everything was due to Casemiro's absence. There is no other like him, Kroos is not to be trusted in the strike and with a third center-back Zidane always assured himself of a plan B behind the German's back. Of course, at the cost of falling very short in the opposite field.

Modric, Benzema and Vinicius

About half an hour later, the first combination between Vinicius and Benzema appeared, and they began to understand each other. The Brazilian's shot, with Sportiello defeated, crashed in Djimsiti. That is the great advantage of the French: a nine that floats out of the area. He was always outstanding in everything except arithmetic (until Cristiano left) and, depending on what courses, in application. By then the Atalanta had already picked up the cable. Batteries are not eternal. And also, Sportiello, ended up messing it up. A bad clearance of his was caught by Modric, who was in the ambush, and blew the goal to Benzema. The flagship of pressure dying of alien pressure. The Croatian put almost everything. It is admirable that a footballer who could live comfortably on his ability does not deny himself the effort. Never has a Ballon d'Or awarded so many virtues.

That goal buried Atalanta and resurrected Vinicius. Gasperini put in what he had left (Zapata, Ilicic …) when the team no longer had energy or spirit left. And in that last push to survive he left plenty of room for Vinicius. In six minutes, the Brazilian scored an 80-meter race, accelerating, feinting and clearing defenses. A collection goal was sensed and he lost the final touch. Nothing we haven't seen before. But he repeated almost immediately and this time Toloino allowed him not to be wrong. He tripped him over the area line and Ramos converted the penalty. It was the captain's last service, reserved for what is to come. With Madrid in his sauce, Benzema crashed a header at Sportiello and another at the post. That was already going to win. And then Zidane removed Vinicius and the party was over. Courtois made two good saves, swallowed a foul from Muriel and Asensio scored on the first ball he touched. Europe can wake him up too.