Atalanta Bergamo, a neophyte in the Champions League, won a historic qualification for the quarterfinals on Tuesday with a 4-3 victory in Valencia in the round of 16, thanks to a quadruple from Josip Ilicic. For its part Leipzig has crushed Tottenham 3-0 e offers its first quarter-final.
Quadruple by Josip Ilicic
The "grandma" strikes four times: in an empty stadium, Atalanta Bergamo, who discovers the Champions League, obtained a historic qualification for the quarter-finals of the competition Tuesday evening in Valencia (4-3), thanks to a quadruple by Josip Ilicic (3rd, 43rd, 71st, 82nd). The Slovenian striker (32, 29 games, 21 goals and 9 assists this season), nicknamed "the granny", allowed the Italian team to glean a memorable ticket for the quarter-finals of the highest European competition, with a cumulative score of 8-4 (4-1, 4-3). The double of Kevin Gameiro (21st, 50th) and the goal of Ferran Torres (67th) were not enough for the Valencians.
Ilicic, figurehead of the attractive Lombard attack, signed his first quadruple in C1, with two penalties (3rd, 43rd), a beautiful cross strike (71st), and another brushed from the left in full skylight (81st). He was bombed 5th best goal scorer in C1, tied with among others Kylian Mbappé or Son Heung-Min with 5 achievements. "I am like wine. The older I get, the better I am", summed up the Slovenian in January, who waited until his thirties to play the best football of his life. Named best player in Serie A in January, he had seven goals in five games, including a heel against Spal and a 45-yard free kick against Torino.
A first quarter-final for Leipzig
In front of 42,000 spectators and not behind closed doors like other C1 meetings due to coronavirus, the Germans, 1-0 winners among the English on the outward journey, still dominated the debates. Sabitzer, the boss of the midfielder, struck twice: an instant recovery at ground level from outside the area on a serve from Werner (1-0, 10) and a header that Hugo Lloris went to push back. .. behind his goal line (2-0, 21st). Led 3-0 over all two games, the Spurs had only to hope for a miracle.
And after all, why not believe it? Last year in the same situation in Amsterdam against Ajax, Lucas Moura had managed a hat-trick and returned the match! But at the time, the coach was called Pochettino, and above all he had resources on the bench. This time, with a staff decimated by injuries, Mourinho, the man who had called himself the "Special One", found himself in the skin of a normal human being, helpless in the face of adversity .
In his defense, he had to deal with a private team of several basic men, including his three major players in attack: the captain and scorer Harry Kane, Steven Bergwijn and Son Heung-min.