Champions League: Atalanta sublimates, Tottenham in fine sheets

Text by: Nicolas Bamba Follow

The knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League continued on Wednesday (February 19th), with two very different matches in Italy and England. Atalanta Bergamo, playing the first C1 in its history, slapped FC Valencia (4-1), while last season's finalist Tottenham was beaten at home by RB Leipzig (1-0) . Newcomers have the advantage.

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The knockout stages of the 2019-2020 Champions League, launched on Tuesday with the victory of Atlético de Madrid against defending champion Liverpool (1-0) and the victory of Borussia Dortmund against PSG (2-1) , are not stingy and in surprises. Wednesday, February 19, unhappy and novice finalists had an appointment. And the advantage is clearly in favor of the latter after this first round.

Atalanta Bergamo, an untouchable " rookie "

Gian Piero Gasprini called on his team to “have a cool head” before welcoming FC Valencia to San Siro. The Atalanta coach did not want his team "to be won over by the euphoria". A wish that he will have trouble seeing granted after the performance of his men against the Spanish. The Bergamasques, qualified for the first time in their history in the Champions League after their third place in Serie A in 2018-2019, humiliated their opponents (4-1).

And to think that this European Atalanta campaign had started with three scathing setbacks (0-4 against Dinamo Zagreb, 1-2 against Chakhtar Donetsk and 1-5 against Manchester City)! Who would have believed in a qualification for the round of 16, then in such a demonstration against FC Valence, twice finalist of the competition at a time (in 2000 and 2001)? The Valencians took to the water in the space of an hour.

Hans Hateboer of the Netherlands scored twice for Atalanta Bergamo against FC Valence on February 19, 2020. Daniele Mascolo / Reuters

The Dutchman Hans Hatoboer lit the first wick in the middle of an outdated defense (16th), then the Croatian Josip Ilicic very logically doubled the bet with a heavy strike before the break (42nd). The Swiss Remo Freuler scored the 3-0 goal of a magnificent rolled up (57th), and Hatoboer finished Valencia in stride (63rd). Against this very "globalized" team with only three Italians out of the 18 players noted on the score sheet, the Murcielagos could only save the honor thanks to the Russian Denis Cheryshev, just entered the game (66th).

This goal somewhat mitigates the violence of the defeat and may be important in the return match. But Valencia will go from far, far away, to Mestalla on March 10.

RB Leipzig turns off finalist

Finalist of the last edition, Tottenham faces a challenge: to qualify against RB Leipzig, which plays the Champions League for the second time in its history and which has passed the group phase for the first time. The mission is now even more delicate because the English lost at home the first leg against the Germans (1-0). The victory of Julian Nagelsmann's men is not disputed.

Already at the break, the Tottenham players could feel happy to be still 0-0 as the first act had been dominated by the visitors. Without a solid Hugo Lloris, the score would have changed earlier. He finally moved to the 58th when Timo Werner cheated the French captain of the Spurs on a penalty following a foul by Ben Davies on Konrad Laimer. Patrick Schick almost scored the break goal shortly after, but the Czech, at the conclusion of a superb German attack, saw his shot masterfully released by Lloris.

Timo Werner and RB Leipzig players defeated Tottenham in London in the Champions League (1-0) on February 19, 2020. Andrew Boyers / Reuters

José Mourinho, who succeeded Mauricio Pochettino as coach in November, injected new blood with Erik Lamela, Tanguy Ndombele, but the Londoners could not find a solution against this very good RB Leipzig. Giovani Lo Celso almost made it, but the former Parisian's curled shot was deflected by goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi on his post (73).

As in the semifinals last May against Ajax Amsterdam, Tottenham is beaten in his lair on the outward journey and will have to go and win his qualification away on March 10 at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig.

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