After 78 minutes of competitiveness, resistance, led by an imperial Axel Witsel in defense and surviving only on very specific occasions, a lack of understanding between De Paul and Reinildo, a fatal error in midfield, facilitated Arnautovic’s 1-0 for Inter and complicated Atlético de Madrid, clinging to the Metropolitano to turn the tie around.
Until then, he endured the first leg at San Siro, although moments before he felt more stress and more suffering. Even later, when Lino unleashed a threatening shot or Morata aimed to make it 1-1 with a header that he did not quite reach, when Griezmann had already been substituted due to injury, he felt strong enough to believe in a tie.
Now they need to win at home. There he won 27 of his last 30 games. This is what the concession of 1-0 obliges him to do, which threw everything before overboard, when 0-0 was the closest result, at least for more than an hour, to equality on the field, no matter how much there was more upward spikes for Inter than for Atlético, but not too many either.
At the beginning Reinildo did not play in the lane. Lino did it, more natural, more offensive, more common this season. The only change from Monday’s test. The variant that the technician hid. The resource that caused Atlético’s first two chances, which stood ready for rebellion against the halo by which Inter, the leader of Serie A, currently moves.
It is true that from then on, in the 11th minute, until half-time, he did not kick on goal again. Neither outside nor inside. As much as Atlético competed head on, face to face, for a long time, aware that there would be many moments to suffer, some at the beginning, more in the final stretch of the first half, even more in the second, but also to attack and tell Inter to their faces that he is not afraid of anyone, that not even San Siro, the cruel outcome of the 2016 final, intimidates him. Yes, he defended much better than he attacked, until he made a decisive mistake today.
Witsel’s game was sublime. Always a midfielder, central now, he assumes incalculable value for Atlético and its structure at the back. His reading of the game is extraordinary. He gives it a condition of almost omnipresence in every struggle towards his area. His placement is perfect. His anticipation made him the winner of most of the duels against the local attackers.
Lautaro Martínez, a scoring whirlwind in this campaign, suffered from it a few times. His first shot bounced off the Belgian center back and hit Nahuel Molina’s hand. Nothing sanctionable for the referee or the VAR. The second was a volley that went very far from Jan Oblak’s frame. The third, a headbutt caught by Oblak. The fourth was saved by Giménez, when Atlético conceded more in an instant than in each of the previous 36 minutes.
Until then, Simeone’s plan placated Inter. And vice versa. In a rhythm of tremendous intensity, in a labyrinth for the ball holder, without space, without time, without pause, without margin, the combination was only at the level of the fastest and most precise. The first touch, vertical, groundbreaking, was the only real option. An unusual demand.
Really, Atlético suffered in the first half when they failed to get out. Each delivery to the opponent in that skill was an invitation to the vertigo of Lautaro and Thuram, whose powerful muscles stopped him on the edge of the break. Damaged in the adductor, he lasted until the intermission, when the red and white group left satisfied in defense and reduced in attack.
The second half challenged Atlético more. Witsel still imposing, providential again against Lautaro, the red and white team perceived itself as more vulnerable. A high shot from Arnautovic, Thuram’s replacement; a corner that was a mess; a sequence of centers that flew over their area until the clearances, again, from Witsel… Warning signs.
Atlético then, now without Giménez – injured -, did not cross its midfield, subjected more than at any time in the entire previous stretch, stressed and resistant. Simeone made a move: Morata, recovered in nine days from the sprained knee he suffered in Seville, onto the pitch for Saúl. To stretch the team beyond its territory, as a reference and discharge, with an immediate but fleeting impact.
A ball exit around the Spanish scorer crossed the midfield line for the first time in the second half. Lino ran, dribbled, connected with De Paul and was flustered when he had to choose between the shot and the pass. His shot was irrelevant, outside the goal, when the occasion even invited us to think about the goal. He wasn’t, but he did serve beyond the scoreboard
To break the inertia, worry Inter, shake up the clash and recompose the visitor’s conviction, put into doubt again when Arnautovic missed one more chance than a goal, with a right-footed shot that was too high; a preview of what was coming for Atlético, who had to endure. Oblak caught another header from Lautaro Martínez.
The subsequent fatal error, a lack of understanding between De Paul and Reinildo on a ball that belonged to either of them, but was neither of them in the midfield, enabled the Argentine striker’s career. Oblak repelled his shot as best he could. The rebound was executed by Arnautovic at 1-0. Just before, Griezmann had been substituted due to injury. Even more difficult.
– Datasheet:
1 – Inter: Summer; Pavard, De Vrij, Bastoni; Darmian (Dumfries, m. 69), Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan (Frattesi, m. 62), Dimarco (Charles Augustus, m. 69); Lautaro (Alexis Sanchez, m. 88) and Thuram (Arnautovic, m. 46).
0 – Atlético de Madrid: Oblak; Molina (Barrios, d. 69), Witsel, Giménez (Savic, d. 46), Hermoso (Reinildo, d. 67), Lino; De Paul, Koke, Saúl (Morata, d. 53); Griezmann and Llorente.
Goals: 1-0, m. 78: Arnautovic.
Referee: Istvan Kovacs (Romania). He warned local Frattesi (m. 85) and visitors Mario Hermoso (m. 53), Savic (m. 81), Morata (m. 85) and Koke (m. 92) with a yellow card.
Incidents: first leg of the round of 16 of the Champions League, played at the San Siro stadium in Milan in front of around 80,000 spectators. Before the start of the match, tribute was paid to German football legend Andreas Brehme, former Inter player, who died this Tuesday at the age of 63. EFE
#Atlético #forced
