Liverpool's failed return to Madrid
Liverpool started the Champions League playoffs at the same stadium where they won the title of the strongest European team last season. This time at the Wanda Metropolitano, the Mercisadeans were not to meet with Tottenham, but with the rightful owner of the Atletico Arena.
Madrid recently did not please their fans. Of the last seven matches in the championship, the Cup and the Super Bowl of Spain, they won only one, and even beat Granada, the missing stars from the sky. Against the background of the wards of Diego Simeone, “Liverpool” could seem like a real giant, because the British last time lost points in October.
However, the match began with a slight sensation. Atletico went on the attack and earned a corner. In whatever form the Spaniards may be, but on standards they were and will always be dangerous. After a pass to Koke, the defender of Liverpool Fabinho unsuccessfully hit the ball in the direction of his own goal, Saul quickly orientated himself and finished it off without any interference from Alisson. Already in the fourth minute, the winners of the Champions League were in the role of catching up.
“Liverpool” immediately began to recoup, without parting with the ball for a second. But “Atletico” in such a game situation usually becomes an impregnable fortress that guests immediately experienced. All players in the Spanish team patiently worked for the defense, including Sime Vrsalko, who had not played in the Champions League for a year and a half due to injury. If in the first half there were dangerous moments, then only at the gates of Alisson. “Liverpool” before the break, scored only a goal by Mohammed Salah, not counted because of the undeniable offside, and his own blow, which Stefan Savich repelled with his head.
During the break, both teams made replacements. At Atlético, Marcos Llorente replaced Tom Lemar, who was running into counterattacks, and instead of Sadio Mane, who earned a yellow card, Divok Origi came out. The beginning of the half again remained with the owners, but after Vrsalko overdid it with the ball in someone else's penalty area, the match returned to its previous course. “Liverpool” continued to advancing pullingly, without creating dangerous moments. After an hour of playing time, the wards of Jürgen Klopp never struck a single blow on someone else's goal.
The German coach could only take such desperate measures as replacing Salah with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, counting on his long-range shots and assists. But Klopp did not manage to rebuild the team until the end - the last change had to be spent on injured Jordan Henderson, when ten minutes were left before the end of the match. None of the moves of the Liverpool mentor worked, while the appearance of Diego Costa, who had not played since November, caused the British many new problems.
The score until the end of the match did not change, and Atlético extended the unbeaten streak in the home games of the Champions League playoffs to 14 matches. Liverpool for the first time lost since September last year, except for the relegation from the English League Cup, in which the Merseysides played as a youth squad.
Holland's winning double in eight minutes
Last season, both Dortmund Borussia and PSG left the Champions League playoffs already at the 1/8 finals. Now the draw has brought them together, so one of them will have to repeat that result, and the other can be improved. In past years, the Parisians could be considered a clear favorite in this pair, but the latest transfer successes of the Germans at least equalized the chances of the teams to succeed.
The point is not only that it was Borussia that moved to the second best group stage scorer Erling Holland, who immediately joined the new team and fully deserved its starting lineup performance at the match with PSG. The wards of Lucien Favre also got Emre Can, who managed to score a goal in his three matches. Initially, the German was only rented from Juventus, but on the day of the meeting with the Parisians, only 19 days after the transition, Borussia bought the contract from Jan and entered into an agreement with him for four years.
PSG did not have such interesting acquisitions, but the old players did not say their last word. Neymar showed the class in the 11th minute, breaking a penalty from 26 meters more dangerous, but the Brazilian still did not have enough for a goal. There was no further development on the part of the guests. Then the Dortmund began to gradually approach someone else's free kick, only they could not open an account. The best moment of the first half was at Holand, to whom the amazing pass from Jadon Sancho flew in from the left, however, the Norwegian somehow missed his head on the ball. If the striker could score in the Bundesliga and the German Cup from the first touch, in the Champions League he did not succeed.
During the break, neither the current team of Thomas Tuchel nor the former began to change anything in the composition. Borussia retained their slightly more aggressive style, and this finally yielded results in the 69th minute. As soon as Azar left the field of Toran, the Dortmund launched a quick attack, during which a ball flew to Holand after a rebound. This time, the Norwegian got his bearings and hit the gates of Kaylor Navas.
PSG did not deserve this missed ball so much, and after six minutes, the guests equalized. Kilian Mbappe incredibly circled the two defenders, leading Neymar to the empty net. However, Holland, as you know, is extremely rare to leave the field without a second goal. The 19-year-old striker in the very next attack powerfully shot from 25 meters and again brought Borussia forward. In seven games for his new club, Holland has already scored ten goals - two more than any other debutant from the teams of the big European five in all tournaments. At the same time, he caught up with the top scorer of the current Champions League draw Robert Lewandowski. And Holland was assisted by 17-year-old Giovanni Reina, who had already managed to spend only nine minutes on the field.
For the remaining 15 minutes, the teams managed to exchange dangerous but inaccurate blows that did not affect the outcome of the match. Borussia won 2-1, which it now has to defend in Paris almost a month later.