Those designated by Atlético in the elimination of Champions

Atlético was eliminated in London where, beyond the 2-0 achieved by Emerson in the last minute of the game, the feeling was a want and I can not. With the first leg 0-1, in a match where Atlético played at home, but was played in Bucharest, the need to win was reflected in the starting drawing, but the team crashed on a rock. A Chelsea that instead of succumbing to the mattress pressure managed to come out from behind and return the discomfort in the game to the other side of the field, without allowing Oblak a single easy exit of the ball. An elimination that allows Atlético to focus on LaLiga, but that also makes it clear a deterioration of the Spanish competition against the Premier, since the fourth of the English league showed enormous power against the leader of the Spanish. As in every important defeat, they usually look for signs to explain a manifest superiority in the tie.

Simeone

And in the end the first marked is always the coach. El Cholo was clear at the end of the game: “I'm not looking for excuses. They were better. When the rival is better, you have to congratulate and reset yourself to think about LaLiga again. This Champions cost us from the beginning. You have to learn and today is a day of learning ”. El Cholo raised a game in the first leg looking for things not to happen, get a 0-0 that would force everything to be played in London. However, the plan did not work by a genius of Giroud. It is true that Atlético was prevented from playing in their stadium, where they are stronger and feel more comfortable and played at a clear disadvantage, having to travel to Bucharest to practice at home. But on the return, Cholo tried to change the approach, look for a fissure in Chelsea and did not succeed even with the constant changes of the system.

Without a doubt, the London team has become another with Tuchel on the bench, only two goals conceded in 13 games and a brave approach to which Atlético succumbed. Simeone tried everything, but never found the key. Go from the start to a defense of four with Lodi on the left side, return to Hermoso after the break, bring Dembélé upstairs to accompany Suárez and join him with João Félix and Llorente, in a system that in the end was disproportionate, because the problem came when trying to get the ball. Had to undo the change to try with Correa for Suárez to regain strength in the middle, In the last minutes Lemar entered the double pivot and moved Llorente to the right lane, but there was no way. Atlético had their entire squad available for the first time this season and could not find a way to bring the game to their field nor with all the interventions of Cholo from the bench.

The center of the field

Chelsea's superiority was reflected in the middle. Jorginho's loss was supplied by an outstanding Kanté, who together with Kovacic ate ​​the center of the mattress field. Atlético did not manage to get out of the pressure of Chelsea, was subjected and had to resort to long balls without a recipient to take oxygen. Koke and Saúl did not manage to take control of the game at any time and physically the Chelsea engine room was much superior, handling the ball and the rhythms of the game. Perhaps Simeone lacked that more powerful pivot that in recent years he had had with Thomas or Rodrigo and there was no way to take possession of the ball or to reach the pressure in time when it was Chelsea who took the ball from behind. Llorente joined the middle, but in this match the blues players matched him physically and João Félix was the one who ended up trying to get down to receive almost the pivot to try to enter the game. Football is dominated in the middle and in that strip Chelsea was much superior.

No overflow

Atlético is used to doing a lot of damage on the wings, but at Stamford Bridge he was subdued by the three Chelsea center-backs and the physical presence with their high lanes. Trippier could not break lines, nor was he able to stop the counterattack that led to Ziyech's goal or put dangerous balls into the area. The Englishman is fundamental, his return has been decisive, but it was probably the game with the least prominence of the season. Neither I gave it He was able to give the expected bite on the left and left substituted at half-time. And ahead of them, Carrasco could never face in hand-to-hand against his peer in band, since they were looking for him in two against one with Azpilicueta as his shadow. The Spanish defender was able to commit a penalty to the Belgian who was not indicated by the referee. Llorente also tried to enter from the right, but his exuberance in the race and power that stands out so much in LaLiga was slowed down by the English walls. Neither putting Saúl on the left or Correa on the right in the second half reversed the situation.

Suarez-dependency

There is always a tendency to focus the few scoring chances on the striker, although he is not necessarily guilty of it. The need to compensate the team after the entry of Dembélé and the situation with many forwards, but no ball control, led the coach to replace Luis Suárez in the 58th minute. With the obligation to score two goals, the goal man left, saying goodbye to the Champions League without having managed to score in the European competition. Between going and back he could hardly enjoy opportunities, although few forwards in the world could have. The Uruguayan's mission was highly complicated, measuring himself very far from the area to three physically very superior centrals who did not detach from him at any time.

If he came forward to receive from behind they stopped him in the center of the field with a foul and if he stepped on the area they would stop him again with actions at the limit of the regulation, being able to suffer a penalty from Rüdiger. Suárez was astonished to see that he was the substituted player with half an hour ahead and two goals to go, but the team was out of balance. Atlético has developed a remarkable dependence on Suárez, and if he doesn't score his '9' it is difficult for him to generate danger. Physically, a lot is being demanded of him and in recent games his numbers have dropped, two goals in nine games that have meant that Atlético has only scored eight goals in that period, when during the season it was averaging more than two goals per game. Only João Félix tested Mendy, but if it is not Suárez, there is no one who takes that responsibility on his back.