In a foreign land, however sweet the memory, there is no local team that is worth it.
Atlético, who have been sailing in a daze for a few days, fell into the trap of an already rough tie.
A blow from
Olivier Giroud
drives Chelsea and poisons the rojiblanco path.
His fate hangs on lifting the tie at Stamford Bridge.
The most difficult yet.
[Narration and statistics (0-1)]
In the middle of the freezing night in Bucharest,
Joaquín Sabina
,
Dani Martín
,
Leiva
and the Metropolitano classics rumbled in the bare stands of the venue where Simeone uncorked his first bottle of champagne.
Nine years have passed and life has changed for everyone.
Who was going to tell Atlético that they would see themselves returning to the Champions League 2,500 kilometers from Madrid and with the feeling of having to feel strange when, in theory, on paper, you play at 'home'.
This is how the Argentine coach took it, aware that in Europe you have to move with courage.
Fears often lead to failure.
He threw dynamite to tear down Tuchel's wall, but his team ended up not knowing if they really wanted to attack or protect themselves.
With Lemar and Llorente as emergency lanes.
With Joao Félix and Correa, involving Luis Suárez.
In the end, neither one nor the other.
The rojiblancos return home, to their real home, in a good mess.
Hidden behind the brush
The night woke up with a slip from the 'blue' goalkeeper
Edouard Mendy
, a prelude to some more future doubts, which
Saúl
quickly detected.
He walked one meter from the goal keeping pace with the ball.
However, to the despair of Luis Suárez, who was hiding behind the undergrowth, he was unable to finish the job.
In the high pressure and precision lay a good part of the fate of the first round of eighths.
Because Chelsea put the rhythm they wanted, pure
rock'n'roll
, to the ball, with
Jorginho
and
Mateo Kovacic
in the engine room of the English team.
Luis Suárez encouraged his team with a clear shout, looking for a ball that whistled between the rojiblancos' legs.
"Hit it, hit it!" Roared the Uruguayan, as soon as he perceived the slightest sign of nervousness in the rival.
From the band, Simeone, rhythm his mood: "Follow the ball, follow the ball!".
And in one of those, it was the Uruguayan himself who drew the scythe, raised the periscope and sent a center to Lemar that seemed lethal.
The Frenchman lacked some precision, plenty of freshness and impudence, despite the new defensive demands in the lane.
He was destined to trace, in his own way, what
Yannick Carrasco
, absent due to injury, has been embroidering in that position.
Joao Félix, for example, barely blinked in his power.
Immediately, a pair of turquoise shadows (the one on the Chelsea uniform) swirled as if possessed, trying to get hold of the ball.
The Portuguese never got to be.
There was no respite and that was clearly reflected in the intense and permanent screams of both teams.
At times, it was even stressful.
Jan Oblak did
not suffer from excessive hot flashes
, despite incursions from
Timo Werner
and
Mason Mount
.
Several minutes to decide
Although from Giroud's first threat, Atlético's blood sprouted.
After several minutes of VAR,
Felix Brych
, who had canceled the goal, ended up giving validity to the Chilean of the French that leaves the rojiblanco badly injured.
The cameras revealed that the ball started from
Mario Hermoso
.
A blow that is not final but further entangles the winding path that Atlético had already brought from Madrid.
Two defeats in a row that hurt but, also, two wounds that still have time to heal.
Although one of them, the one in Europe, has to do it at Stamford Bridge.
Things of the pandemic.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
Know more
sports
football
Champions League
Atlético de Madrid
ChampionsThe rebirth of Marcos Alonso: from object of desire to threat for Atlético
ChampionsThe restrictions threaten Atlético - Chelsea
ChampionsThe secrets of the Europa League 2012, face to face in the room with Simeone: "There we started to win the final"
See links of interest
2021 business calendar
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Atlético - Chelsea, live