• Chronicle: Atlético breaks the spell

For Joao Felix, Lokomotiv has been like a muse. In Moscow, he commanded the victory (0-2) and scored his first goal in the Champions League. And on the icy Wednesday night, during the last episode of the group stage, with the qualification for the round of 16 still pending, he forced a penalty, converted another and let loose on the grass, just like he did in Russia, on the dawn of October . His inspiration in these two matches resulted in six of the 10 points with which Atlético has sealed his ticket to the next round for the sixth time in the Simeone era.

Joao, of course, would have liked to have settled the tension from the beginning. In fact, as soon as he was knocked down in the area by Kochenkov , he thought it would be he who tried his fortune. But Simeone had another plan. "Before the start, there is a list with five kickers. The first was Trippier , it is the best we have. Normally in training he puts five of six, unfortunately he could not put it," argued the Argentine coach. With Tottenham, the British side failed the only penalty he tried (in Copa, against Crystal Palace), although he hit England, in the penalty shootout of the World Cup, against Colombia.

"We rehearsed penalties twice a week and I was confident. It was a good stop. Then they told me that the goalkeeper was ahead, but the important thing is that the team won," Trippier himself added about the outcome of the first play of the duel. Although the Lokomotiv goalkeeper was visibly ahead at the time of the hit, no one warned the referee about the circumstance. And, of course, the referee Viktor Kassai also did not consider that the launch should be repeated. The final score would end up downplaying the matter. "They told me that, but I didn't see anything," added Simeone.

However, a quarter of an hour later, the papers were exchanged. It was Trippier who provoked a second penalty, after his center hit Zhemaletdinov's hand. The referee Kassai did not see it but the VAR did. And Joao Felix, who had been left with the desire in the first, did not release the ball until it was well placed on the penalty spot. "My father has always told me not to be afraid of taking responsibility," he revealed in the mixed area of ​​the Metropolitan, recalling his lethal strike with which he left the Russian goalkeeper stuck on the line. "Joao is young and not afraid of anything," summed up his coach. He already has four goals with Atlético: two in the Champions League and two in LaLiga.

The 'coconuts' of eighths

His statement regarding maximum penalties contrasts with the effectiveness of Atlético in that fate. Morata , Diego Costa , for two times, he and Trippier have gone through that drink. For now, Joao is the only one who has not failed. Because Costa scored against Valencia, but forgave against Sánchez-Pizjuán, against Sevilla, which could have meant a triumph for his team. Although he is only 20 years old, the Portuguese is clear that, if Simeone does not consider otherwise, he will again assume responsibility, if only to pay attention to his father. After throwing the team behind him in Villarreal , although without precision in front of Asenjo , he repeated again against Lokomotiv and will have the opportunity to continue writing his history in the Champions League, starting in February.

It will be the sixth time that Atlético de Simeone has appeared in the round of 16. Only last year fell eliminated in that first round of crosses. After Milan (2014), Bayer Leverkusen (2015), PSV (2016), again Leverkusen (2017) and Juventus (2019), now serious threats appear from Bombo 1. From there came a year ago Poisonous ball of Juve and now another coconut will emerge. Namely: Liverpool of Klopp, current European champion, Manchester City of Guardiola, PSG of Neymar and company, the injured Bayern Munich or the surprising Leipzig of Timo Werner (20 goals), a striker who likes in the Metropolitan. Because the first thing that Atlético has to do to continue traveling through the Champions League is to solve its aim. You have until February to try.

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