He 'Cholo' Simeone remains undefeated against the ‘Engineer’ Pellegrini, in their reunion seven years later. The Argentine coach won 2-0 with his
Atlético de Madrid to the Real Betis of the Chilean, whose squad dominated the first half but was overtaken by the momentum of the rojiblancos in the second.
The effectiveness of Diego Pablo Simeone, who went ahead with a goal from Marcos Llorente
As soon as the second half started and they rounded off with another goal from Uruguayan Luis Suárez in added time, he beat a good first part of the team led by Manuel
Pellegrini, who starred in a dominating start in possession and chances, but still did not win over his Argentine rival.
Seven years later, since March 3, 2013 when the Chilean directed the Malaga and the Argentine was in his second season at the helm of Athletic (0-0), Simeone Y Pellegrini they met again. And the balance continues to be favorable to the Argentine: with today's, three wins and two draws against his Chilean rival.
Two rivals who exchanged praise before the duel. “There are many ways to play, but Diego he is clear about what he wants to do with the teams, “he said. Pellegrini. “Manuel has given to Betis the hierarchy and professionalism that the coach has shown in all the places he has been ”, he replied Simeone.
For Pellegrini, he Athletic it's a much tougher bone since he's run it Simeone. Without him, the ‘Engineer’ has won Athletic up to eight times – five with Villarreal, two with the Real Madrid and one with him Malaga-, but he has never done it with the 'Cholo' in front.
There was an affectionate greeting between the two, a hug, before starting a contest between two teams in need of victory: the Athletic for his bump against the champion of Europe, he Bayern Munich (4-0), the Betis for having lost two of their last three games, both 3-0, against the Real and the Getafe.
He 'Cholo' Simeone decided to give rest to one of his budding pearls, the Portuguese Joao Felix, and bet on Marcos Llorente as a companion of the Uruguayan Luis Suarez in point, with the Argentine Angel
belt, whom he defined as “the most forward of those we have” to accompany the Uruguayan in the absence of Diego Coast, again in that position that he likes less: the inside right.
For his part, the ‘Engineer’ Pellegrini sought vertigo, with Christian
Tello and french Nabil Fekir on the sides, the Paraguayan Tonny
Sanabria pointed and Sergio Canales as everyone's partner, behind the striker.
It came out, because between Fekir and the side Martin Montoya turned the right wing of the Verdiblanco attack into a source of constant danger: from there they came a cross for the Portuguese header William Carvalho and a shot of Fekir. Both paid for by the rojiblanco insurance, the Slovenian goalkeeper Jan
Oblak.
Not only the right wing, but the center of the green and white field, with an expeditious Carvalho, dominated the game. Simeone he scoffed, but he couldn't get his people to gain presence, and even the Uruguayan Lucas Torreira starred in an attempt to dribble in his own area -something forbidden in the ‘Cholo’ script and in anyone’s — that ended in robbery and a Carvalho.
The Portuguese would also be the protagonist in the negative, with a head butt back that became a pass into space for Suarez, who stood alone against Bravo but finished too crossed out.
However, neither his 65% possession nor his nine occasions gave the Betis of Pellegrini an advantage before the break, at which point Simeone He did not hesitate to change the two players who had been worse: the Uruguayan Torreira and french Thomas lemar, by the Belgian Yannick Carrasco and the mexican Hector Herrera.
CHANGE OF TREND
The change in attitude was immediate, faster than I would even expect Simeone, since in just one minute from the kickoff one of the newly incorporated, Carrasco, he took out the band for Mario
Beautiful, who served a ball at the run of Llorente. The Madrilenian, pure vertigo, in the style of his revelation as a striker since last year, decided to shoot instead of centering and scored a goal that unbalanced the duel.
The vertigo that the ‘Engineer’ had entrusted to his own was now represented by ‘Cholo’, with a distant shot from Hermoso, a shot at the pole Herrera and a shot of Carrasco repelled by Bravo, all in less than two minutes. Y Simeone put more meat on the grill with Joao
Felix.
Answered Pellegrini with more gunpowder –Loren by William and Joaquín for Tello- but the occasions remained local: a direct lack of Luis
Suarez after a lack of Martin Montoya that cost him expulsion, a hand in hand with Carrasco what saved Claudio Bravo ... Until a backlash allowed Luis Suarez mark and retaliate for previous failures. He 'Cholo'He imposed himself on the' Engineer 'again.