Who the hell do you think we are?
Real Madrid and Barcelona don't go there and play their game and you think we're just gonna walk in there with our guys and just dominate Atletico?
Are you guys delusional?
Nah actually I always supported Inzaghi, Lauti, etc. and still will, because they are doing a marvelous job in general, but tonight was simply not good enough, and I hope and think that he will see that himself.
Let’s split the game into scenarios:
- Atletico dominated the first 15-20ish minutes which is totally expectable and understandable, as they try to impose themselves infront of their own crowd.
This part I can fully live with.
- After the 20 minute mark we start finding into the game and control the game by having possession. The most noticeable thing though: even if we have the possibility to go fast, we rather break up, take no risks, and play slowly from the back.
This part I can partly live with. Why? Because you set the tone that you’re there to let the 90 minutes run down, so Atletico realizes we are not dangerous at all. The only two times we decide to play fast result in a chance (Dumfries), and in a goal (Dimarco).
- Very shortly after we concede a goal, and lose our control, which is fully ok, because Atletico gets a gasp at being able to overturn the result. The half time whistle saves us. The second half starts the same style.
This part I can fully live with.
- After the 55minute mark we start figuring out a way to release us out of the press finally; Sommer kicks it high, we play it back and control possession and tempo without being pressed, because the goalkeeper kick already sends the opponent back.
Now this is the part where we lose the game in my opinion. Mkhitariyan miscontrols three passes and fails at a shot around this mark. Knowing that we have Frattesi at the bench, we should have initially brought in Frattesi here, because Mkhi was visibly not concentrated enough (look who lets the assist for the 2-1 get through btw).
Furthermore we are finally in a cruise control mode, and what does Inzaghi decide? He takes out Bastoni for Acerbi. I shouldn’t explain why this is wrong obviously seeing Bastonis strengths vs seeing Acerbis strengths in this particular phase of the game.
The pinnacle was the sub of Bisseck for Dimarco which basically signalised Simeone to come at us with full strength which is what happened.
Long story short, no I don’t expect us the dominate a whole game against Atleti away, but I expect a coach like him (to me a coach of the highest levels) to be able to read this situation. We were in a very comfortable position even though it was only 1-1, but didn’t make use of it, because he did not read the game correctly and exposed slow and big CBs against pacey and tricky players.
He had a chance to correct the path somewhat by taking out either Pavard or Devrij for Buchanan in order to press Atletico in the extra time, as they were visibly dead, but he went on to make a further mistake by putting in Klaassen for Mkhi in a moment where the things didn’t happen in midfield whatsoever.
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