Strong lineup for Liverpool to face Benfica in Lisbon
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2021/2022 Champions League: Not the Super League
- Thread starter bosox4283
- Start date
Atletico either needs to hope that City gets tired playing this way or needs to find a way to move up the pitch -- there's no way Atleti can withstand another 75 minutes of this pressure.
That was amazing, the touch the accuracy.
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City's "throw everyone forward and just foul if threatened with a counter" style is infuriating. It seemed like Griezman was just waiting to be grabbed around the waist on that breakaway.
Like the subs by Klopp - Jota Firmino and Henderson on for Salah Mane and Thiago. Uncharacteristically bad game for the latter, Salah missed a hat trick's worth of chances, and got City in 5 days.
Pool have been dreadfull for the entire half. and in what was probably pre-planned move Hendo, Jota and Firmino are on.
Ref gives an advantage to Jota getting his shirt tugged, instead of pulling it back when there is none, whistles Jota. Where do they find these guys?
I mean, the result is basically what I expected -- but it is not dire. Even though, Atletico will need to change a lot of things to be able to score two goals, I like their chances at home.
I missed most of the match and am just looking at the stats, did Atleti really go the whole match without even attempting a single shot? That's crazy.
Llorente had a couple of attempts and Ederson had to save one but Atletico had no intention of scoring and played to take a 0-0 home with no away goals.
did Pep try to put 12 men on the field as he threatened to? was trying to count....
does Athletico play like this in La Liga too? Trying to goad opponents to go down to 8 men?
does Athletico play like this in La Liga too? Trying to goad opponents to go down to 8 men?
As with many things we wish for, I didn’t see some of the consequences of the away goal rule being abolished until they hit. Giving a cynical, negative team like Atletico no incentive whatsoever to score produces some awful, awful play. Yuck.
Playing in a league with Real and Barcelona forced Atletico to adopt a different philosophy to compete. They simply didn’t have the financial might, so they developed the dark arts to an extreme. While other sides took to developing young talent and exploiting the hell out of it to compete in such an environment,(Borussia Dortmund, for example) Atletico pushed the boundaries of what can be done on the pitch. They institutionalized and perfected time wasting, dirty play, provocation, and nipping goals on the counter. It’s worked to an impressive degree.
It makes them one of the most hatable clubs in the world and one I cannot watch for ninety minutes, regardless of how much I support or hate their opponent.
I’m really not a guy who fully and deeply understands tactics, so I cannot actually refute any of what you write since I’d be sort of making things up. But I’ll offer three counterpoints.
1. Pep praised Atleti and Simeone in the day-before interviews and commented that the team and Simeone are much more offensive than people think.
2. Atleti tends to turn into a pumpkin on the biggest stages, in part because the biggest clubs in Europe and Spain are simply better, and because Simeone has developed and refined a style that works for him. The style was uglier — and better — years ago with guys like Diego Costa, Gabi, Tiago, Raul Garcia, Miranda, Godin, Juanfran, and Filipe Luis.
3. When Simeone opens up his attack, this current squad has great offensive talent and can score goals. Maybe Simeone relies too often — especially in big matches — on this shithousery, but this year and last (when Atleti won the title) have had plenty of moments when there’s creative and attacking football. There’s a lovely goal against ManU; a recent 4-1 win in La Liga, a few Suarez gems; and sparks from players like Carrasco and Llorente.
Atleti are known to be tough, and often fall into the Dark Arts, but the general philosophy this year and last has been to win with quality on both sides off the ball and rely more on skills than tricks. The Atleti of old from like three-plus years ago was much more sneaky. This version doesn’t have that edge.
I’ll be interested to see what Simeone does on the return leg. As far as I can see, there’s only 2 workable approaches towards City:
1. Get Pep to out smart himself. And even Pep has started joking about this.
2. Pack the midfield and play a mid-to-high block. Yes, you have to pray to your diety at least a dozen times over that your CBs can close down the space on Sterling or Foden after a pinpoint ball over the top…but winning the ball near midfield is the only way to get past City’s “professional foul as art form” counter to the counter.
I have to say, the Dias-Rodri axis at the back has become incredible. It’s on par with VVD-Fab and a healthy Kante as the best defensive core going these days.
1. Get Pep to out smart himself. And even Pep has started joking about this.
2. Pack the midfield and play a mid-to-high block. Yes, you have to pray to your diety at least a dozen times over that your CBs can close down the space on Sterling or Foden after a pinpoint ball over the top…but winning the ball near midfield is the only way to get past City’s “professional foul as art form” counter to the counter.
I have to say, the Dias-Rodri axis at the back has become incredible. It’s on par with VVD-Fab and a healthy Kante as the best defensive core going these days.
I love Simeone ball and have admired the way his team plays for quite a long time. I don't see Simeone's two lines of five and counter style as any more cynical than Pep telling his defenders to play in the other side's half and then just do their best Earl Thomas impersonation if the other team manages to break, knowing that they have $100 million worth of back ups on the bench to absorb the yellows.
You have to have someone as big, fast and clinical as Son the City destroyer to make this work. I know he's long in the tooth (scary thought), but I kept expecting to see Suarez in the second half just because he would have done so much more with the two good chances that Llorente flubbed.
Chipping at ankles, diving, extreme time wasting, etc is cynical play. Playing defensively, in a vacuum, isn't overly cynical.
City committed only 8 fouls yesterday. 2 yellows and one was given to Ederson for god knows what and the other was for the substitute Jesus. Atletico barely ever countered and their only forays into the City end were a result of messed up corner routines which gave Atletico an opening. In spite of that, City didn’t foul to snuff out those chances. And any team in world football would.
Atletico played 2 banks of 5 yesterday and had a player like Felix withdrawn to practically wingback. They seldom even tried to build an attack when they won the ball instead choosing to hoof it long. They knew there was nobody to receive but were happy to try their luck at defending for 90 minutes and go home level. I don’t at all understand a desire to analyze that match yesterday and have a go at City who did nothing but earnestly try to break the most defensive setup a team can employ. You can be angered by City all you want but yesterday’s match is probably the worst example of this you could find.
And for those who are talking about beating City the answer is simply what Teuchel, Vieira, Conte, et Al have done to City on multiple occasions. You park a bus and double both wingers and try to get 2 talented attackers in space isolated against the 2 CBS while picking up runners. City v Chelsea last season could have been played for another 90 minutes and City would have been lucky to score. Playing a high line and counter pressing can work but it’s a way higher variance strategy and extremely poor for anyone to even try who aren’t extremely adept at it. Every once in a while a team can unsettle City with a press for 15-20 minutes especially if they funnel the ball to Walker and force him to try to quarterback but there’s too much talent on the wings to defend 1 v 1 in space for 90 minutes
Benzema with a great finish to put Real up on Chelsea
fake edit - Modric plays a lovely ball and Benzema lays on another gorgeous header
first was a power
Second was incredible placement / spin
fake edit - Modric plays a lovely ball and Benzema lays on another gorgeous header
first was a power
Second was incredible placement / spin
First goal it looked like no one marked Benzima, second goal they had two guys on him, didn’t seem to matter either way.
Vinicius has been good -- maybe very good -- this year, but Benzema has absolutely carried Real Madrid.
Just insane action today. Benz with 2 worldies already, but Haavertz brings one back when Carvajal gets turned around.
Meanwhile, Villarreal had a pinball goal early, and were unfortunate to have mishit (or misplayed) ball chalked off.
Meanwhile, Villarreal had a pinball goal early, and were unfortunate to have mishit (or misplayed) ball chalked off.
Jeez, I know Mendy was primarily at fault there, but it looks like Real Madrid have already come to terms with all the Chelsea defenders.
Bayern starting to buzz now. Villarreal valiantly trying to break the high Bayern press, but it's risky and it's almost bit them twice already this half.
So … Chelsea is up against it going back to Madrid down 2. I think this tie is done and dusted. Villarreal played an excellent game against Bayern and were unlucky to be only 1 up. This seems to be a tossup.
Things are looking good for LFC. A Villarreal win would give them a clear path to the final. On the other side, City have a tough tie to see out and then look for another Madrid matchup.
Things are looking good for LFC. A Villarreal win would give them a clear path to the final. On the other side, City have a tough tie to see out and then look for another Madrid matchup.
I would be very surprised if Bayern doesn't win by 2 or 3 at home. Villareal really could have used a second goal.
UEFA likely to add some "legacy" spots in the UCL reserved for historically successful teams. I'm sure Nottingham Forest will be first on the list.
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