30' Mahrez releases Walker with a straight shot, crosses to Foden at the far post and back to Gundogan in front of the goal to hit the post
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On the rebound, Sterling released Gundogan with a direct kick that was parried by the outstretched Oblak
Atletico started the game with aggressive pressing, plus
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Players made poor passes and a couple of waves nearly sent the ball in
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Offense in the penalty area.
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It took about 7-8 minutes for the warm-up to finish and take away control of the game. What would make this change is not a decline in Atletico's pressing efforts, but rather
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The ball protection is able to keep up the pace.
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The offense is not like the first round completely in front of the ball control pressure (because Atletico also did not set up a big bus), and even in order to target Atletico's high-pressure pressing, there are a few long passes to find the two wings to break through the back line of the players; or more straightforward 3 ~ 4 counterattack attack appeared. However, the effect of facing Atletico's tight defense is limited, 8 shots on goal is a good place, 0 shots on goal is a bad place, and this time you can't throw the pot to the end of the goal, Atletico's defenders blocked half of these shots. Even though Atletico was busy with high-pressure pressing in the midfield, the backline defense was still top-notch and crucial to keep the game alive.
(While the offense was ultimately unproductive, such a counterattack was essentially unseen once in the first round)
At the other end, a lagging Atletico had no intention of attacking other than to press at high pressure, but in the
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Controlling the game, they still have to look for a fast break to break through.
One of the more obvious lines of attack was the Atletico left side (54% of the game's attacks came from the left.) Lodi received long passes and confronted Walker, Felix looked for gaps between Walker and Stones to break through to the offside line, but Walker was just too solid, physical and fast to be able to carry a long rush of passes in the first instance, allowing Stones to Stones to concentrate on the second time passes to clear the ball. After Walker went up for the attack and then
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After dropping the ball, Stones had to face Felix's dish alone, and it's moments like these that really make the
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The defense was in a tense state. However, only tight, not dangerous, Atletico only finished the first half with one shot from outside the box.
(A threatening attack on the verge of a crisis, on the one hand, the pass was not far enough forward for Lodi to hit the ball; on the other hand, the ball went to the left flank, and Lodi waited for his teammates to move forward to support him, but Walker was back in time to put pressure on the ball).
First half stats: possession 29.7-70.3; shots 1-8, shots on goal 1-0; successful crosses 0-6
Second half opens.
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There was chaos all the same. Since Walker couldn't get through, Atletico looked for Cancelo, allowing Griezmann to join the front line at the right time and make a play on the right side of the field, which forced their first corner kick of the whole game.Griezmann found a gap between Cancelo, Laporte and broke through the back line, and as Cancelo couldn't keep up with him, he was out of the game. Griezmann's shot from a narrow angle was blocked by Laporte.
this time
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The warm-up took longer, a full 15 minutes, with simple, and somewhat pointless looking backfield passes to each other to get the players quiet again and to keep the pace of the game from being taken away from Atletico.
However.
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The ill-conceived notion of controlling the game for easy advancement did not come true. With KDB, the most tremendous keeper-to-attack threat, out with injury, Walker, who was perfect defensively throughout the game, and a physical confrontation with multiple Atletico scheduling injections of energy and progressively more forceful (physical) challenges to the referee's bottom line, the tempo of the game was still stolen by Atletico.
Atletico became the team that dominated the ball in the second half, dominated the offense, and it's rare that
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One can only be passive and take a defensive position.
In the closing stages of the game, Foden was taken down by Felipe, who then added a second kick, which, coupled with Savic's impetuous actions, led to a passionate confrontation.
The Atletico players used strong physical play throughout the game to challenge the referee, but with just the right amount of force. Perhaps it was the combination of time running out and the
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Players started wasting time, finishing each other's mentality together and making Felipe's sanity line break. This time it was the second time he crossed the line and could not escape two yellows for one red and an early exit.
Atletico didn't give up, but the players on the field were already starting to lose heart, and were in a dangerous balance where they could be on the verge of another touchdown at any moment. For the rest of the match, there will be no tactical confrontation, just a battle of wills between the two players.
Atletico siege,
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Deadlocked, I didn't write it wrong, that's what the game was about. 86 min, Cunha's shot was blocked at the limit by Stones (Atletico's highest xG of the game); 90+6 min, Gundogan couldn't capitalize on a counterattack to kill off the game (the only BIG chance for both sides all game); 90+7 min, Carrasco's tricky free kick was parried away by Ederson (Atletico's first shot on target in the second half); 90+12 mins, Correa's shot was parried by Ederson amidst the chaos.
Second half stats: possession 52.7-47.3; shots 13-2, shots on goal 2-1; successful crosses 9-6
