Shortly before the Champions League started at the Metropolitano, the Salzburg boys looked at the empty stadium as if they had never broken a plate in their lives.

Actually, in Europe they never have.

They are a group of young people without fear of anything, but who also do not travel the continent willing to sell their souls at any price.

It must be the Red Bull spirit that gives them wings, like their older brother, Leipzig, the recent guillotine of Atlético.

And boy did he give them to her last night.

The rojiblancos came to fear for their fate on several occasions.

Then Joao Felix appeared, destined for things like these, and the night could clear.

There was no Atlético player who had a couple of seconds to think.

At the slightest oversight, the scythe of some Austrian footballer was ready to put the ball in his pocket to launch the storm.

A bit like this explains Szoboszlai's goal.

Herrera, who usually needs his time to see the play, was read about the intentions in the exit of the ball and the matter ended with the visiting goal.

The fifth in two games.

Yet another would come.

Oblak could do little in the face of such a cannon shot at point blank range.

This is to underline that to beat Salzburg, despite its discreet pedigree, a few quality brushstrokes are not enough.

You have to put a few strokes of energy on it.

And of that, of energy, Marcos Llorente has plenty.

He is right now the fastest and most reliable means of transportation for your team.

An almost perfect Chilean

If against Betis, in LaLiga, a redemptive whiplash was invented, at the Metropolitan's premiere in the Champions League, he let his left-foot appear again.

Like that magical night at Anfield.

One of his shoes seemed to split the Austrians in two.

And perhaps it would have been that way if Llorente had succeeded, minutes later, face to face with a goalkeeper, Stankovic, who already gave up the battle.

He lacked a hand.

Because Atlético made him want to, and a lot, in the first half.

A couple of times he grabbed onto that lethal instinct, the exclusive property of Luis Suárez, but he lacked precision.

And he turned again and again to Joao Félix, who drew a Chilean that touched perfection, but ended up kissing the crossbar.

It was the Portuguese who lit up the night when a shower of arrows had riddled the rojiblancos, surprised as soon as the second act dawned by one of those lightning counters on which Simeone had insisted so much in the preparation of the match.

Joao returned his breath when there was barely a corner to breathe.

The Austrian threat, who had lost their striker Daka to injury within half an hour, never stopped.

"They never get tired", had warned Jonatan Soriano, legend of Salzburg.

Obviously, he was right.

Blanket night

Oblak had to perform a miracle or another along the way to interrupt the enthusiasm of those boys in black ready to storm the Metropolitan.

They were pretty clear that if they put their fast game on full blast, they could beat an Atlético who was cornered a handful of times.

Surely more than he would have liked.

But football, as Simeone's men know, is driven by marksmanship and there, this time, the Spanish team rose, fearing for their integrity in a group where Bayern is destined to command.

The focus of Joao Félix, opportunist in a corner kick, made a night of blanket uneven.

The traps appear in the least expected place and Atlético, albeit with difficulties, managed to avoid it.

And that is too much already.

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Know more

  • Joao Felix

  • Luis Suarez

  • Marcos Llorente

  • sports

  • football

  • Champions League

  • Atlético de Madrid

  • Diego Simeone

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