Group B | Matchday 2
Simeone made a very conservative approach and when he wanted to attack he was shot in the butt because the Germans punished him for the counterattack
Perhaps because he thought too much about next Sunday’s derby and surely because Simeone was once again extremely conservative on a European night, Atlético was the perfect rival for Bayer Leverkusen to resurrect and come out of its crisis with a fair victory. Deserved punishment for the mattresses, who temporized with the intention of resolving in the final stretch, after more daring changes, but this time the plan went wrong for Cholo. With Griezmann already on the field, precisely the two goals of the penultimate classified in the Bundesliga came to tighten the group because, in addition, Bruges thrashed Porto at Do Dragao.
The first act was played for the benefit of inventory because Leverkusen was afraid of being unleashed and Atlético played very contained, with extreme caution that prevented them from shooting on goal. Perhaps Simeone feared one more outburst from the Germans, but Gerardo Seoane’s team, a Swiss coach of Spanish origin, is not up for many flights. For something he had conceded only 11 goals in six days and won until last night one of his eight official matches.
two
Bayer Leverkusen
Hradecky, Kossounou, Tah, Tapsoba (Bakker, min. 89), Hincapie, Andrich, Demirbay, Hudson-Odoi (Amiri, min. 90), Hlozek (Frimpong, min. 69), Diaby (Azmoun, min. 89) and Schick (Aránguiz, min. 88).
0
Athletic
Grbic, Molina (Griezmann, min. 62), Witsel, Felipe, Hermoso, Reinildo (Carrasco, min. 62), Koke, Llorente, Saúl (De Paul, min. 46), Joao Félix (Correa, min. 73) and Morata (Cunha, min. 73).
-
Goals:
1-0: min. 84, Andrich. 2-0: min. 87, Diaby. -
Referee:
Michael Oliver (England): Showed yellow to Kossounou, Tah, Hincapie.
It was already seen in eleven that Cholo wanted to strengthen his defensive network. Oblak did not play as a precaution and it was surprising that Felipe’s first minutes this season were as a starter, with Witsel as the right central defender, Hermoso on the left and Reinildo as the lane. He fell from the Carrasco team. Atlético was in control of the situation in that first half, but they only gave the impression of being able to generate danger when they received the active Joao Félix, the object of numerous fouls that soon left the two local central defenders with a yellow card.
Controversy
It cannot serve as an excuse, but the colchoneros rightly complained about a penalty not signaled by a fairly clear Tapsoba hand. The VAR reviewed it, but did not correct the English braid and did not punish the error of the Burkina Faso center-back. In that same play, Mario Hermoso did not hit the goal when a loose ball fell to him. In the opposite area, Grbic was still spending a placid night. He only had to stop Diaby’s very distant and safe shot until the break.
For the third time this season, Simeone retired the inconsequential Saúl at half-time. He accelerated Leverkusen not being intimidated and miraculously did not go ahead. Felipe, with a tendency to always play a bit too much, lost an absurd ball, Schick stayed in front of Grbic and shot the crossbar. And in the rebound, Hlozek headed the post after grazing the Croatian goalkeeper. Two alarms to wake up Atlético.
Cholo looked at his assistant Nelson Vivas and around 60, it was Griezmann’s time, once again, and Carrasco. And he retired the two wingers, passing Llorente to the right lane. Theoretically another game began, already with the most dominant colchoneros. But the one who forgave again was Schick after a lack of defensive forcefulness unbecoming of Atlético.
The Teutons grew again and Cholo changed his two forwards. There were no bad faces this time from Joao or lack of respect for Correa and Cunha, two teammates who also deserve prominence. But the determining figure was in the other fando and it was the newcomer Frimpong with two quick runs and his assists to Andrich and Diaby. This time, Cholo got shot in the butt.
#Atlético #resurrects #Leverkusen