Luis Núñez-Villavearán
Updated Sunday, March 17, 2024-22:58
Went back.
With a withered forehead and wandering in the shadows as
Gardel
sang .
To the house that opened its arms to him three and a half years ago and that this Sunday blew his ears and stained his badge among the red and white legends.
He did it after torturing his former team, you never know when he talks about players on loan, and rising above the grass with his arms crossed.
The stands did not forget.
[Narrative and Statistics, 0-3]
But in the first 10 minutes they couldn't even whistle at
Joao Félix
because the Portuguese literally didn't touch the ball.
Then, yes, the Portuguese would get even, with a little dance included.
It is incredible that, of his six goals in the league, a third have come against
Atlético de Madrid
.
The Portuguese defined Barcelona's game, with pecks.
But that was worth it in the Metropolitano.
The first defeat in the League of the course.
The previous one, by the way, was also inflicted by
Barça
on January 8 of last year.
Atlético's high pressure had begun to be suffocating.
The red and whites faced their nemesis head on, a team they have not been able to beat since
Xavi
coached them .
That intensity and the misunderstood calm of
Ter Stegen
gave them the first chance of the match.
A theft by
De Paul
, a transfer to
Barrios
and a shot, that of the youth player, which was licking the Dutchman's left corner.
And the first fifteen minutes of the game were between youth players.
Riquelme ,
Morata
's surprising companion
in the red and white attack, was a dagger on the left and
Barrios
played well as
Koke
, it is not an easy role to play and even more so against a team like Barça, always eager to win the midfield.
Riquelme, in a set of the game.JuanJo MartínEFE
But this Barcelona does not look like the one led by its coach.
It is more direct and has more problems sleeping the game with the ball, especially when the home team pressures you with every pass.
As a result of that pressure there was another robbery that if
Molina
had sharpened his foot on a counterattack he could have left
Lino
alone against
Ter Stegen
.
The Brazilian reached it and managed to cross it to
Morata
, but he did not have much of an angle.
Only
Raphinha
threatened the red and white defense with solo attacks on the right wing, but with only two corners as a positive result for his team, although his header could have generated more danger if it had been better directed.
Without tension the Barça team in one of the most important duels in the domestic competition.
In which they had to avoid Madrid's escape, in which they had to overtake
Girona
and in which they had to eliminate a rival by the end of the season.
But since this is football, the most unpredictable sport that exists, Barça only needed a genius from
Gündogan
to take the lead on the scoreboard.
One two from the German against
Llorente
and a deep pass to
Lewandowski
, who turns well and gives in to
Joao Félix
to comply with the law of the ex although, as we say, he is a somewhat strange ex.
He turned the Portuguese's ankle well to put it at the base of the post away from
Oblak
.
The Portuguese hesitated with a few small steps in front of the south end of the Metropolitano until his teammates, with good judgment, set up a pineapple to hide what the player intended to do.
As Morata
said
in the preview, "people have feelings", and it was convenient for Barça's number 14 and his teammates not to further inflame a crowd that gave him a loud whistle every time he touched the ball.
De Paul Folly
Little else would happen in the first half, but just one minute into the second, a crossing of cables by
De Paul
almost ended with the Argentine expelled and with Barça's second goal on the scoreboard.
The red and white five gave a pass to the rival that ended up at
Raphinha
's feet on the edge of the area, the Brazilian scored for
Lewandowski and the Pole adjusted it to
Oblak
's far post
, impossible for the Slovenian.
60 seconds to throw away the great effort of a first half, which did not end as
Cholo
had planned either.
Llorente
was able to cut it back
five minutes later after a rebound from a corner, but the Madrid native's volley, which went through a forest of legs, was repelled by Ter Stegen in one of the saves of the year.
The clearest of the rojiblanco team in the first hour of play.
A mirage, the third of the culés was closer and the Polish striker was able to do it after winning a duel against Savic.
It ended up arriving almost effortlessly and also by the work and grace of the Pole.
In a poorly defended transition by the red and white defense, a lateral cross from
Lewandowski
found
Fermín
alone in the center of the area, which he headed home without opposition.
It's bad that, in a match where your rival had barely dominated you, in three pecks he finished off the match and made the Champions League difficult for you.
The defeat took Atlético out of the top four places in LaLiga, which give access to the Champions League.
The main objective of the Colchonero club, as all levels of the club have tired of repeating since the beginning of the season.
Winning the Champions League is a dream, achieving it is a necessity.
Atlético fought with more heart than head for the goal of honor.
Saúl
had it very clearly
, but it was not the day of the man from Elche again.
Nor that of honors but to avoid suffering greater punishment.
Roja to
Molina
aside.
It is enough that a player you own, who disowns you, has marked you again.
Football is cruel sometimes and does not understand deservedness.
The Blaugrana nightmare continues and the bogeyman, once again, was the Portuguese
Joao Félix
.