Atletico Madrid will take a 2-1 lead into subsequent week’s Champions League quarter-final second leg away to Borussia Dortmund.
Positioned on the ‘proper’ facet of the draw, each groups should regard this as an enormous alternative to achieve the showpiece occasion at Wembley. Atleti have twice been downed within the ultimate beneath Diego Simeone’s tutelage, whereas one-time winners Dortmund have struggled to claim themselves on this competitors since they had been overwhelmed finalists in 2013.
The indicators had been initially ominous for the guests as an irresistible Atleti produced an outstanding first-half show and took a 2-0 lead, however a resilient second-half displaying means BVB will really feel it is all to play for going into the second leg.
Listed below are a number of the issues we discovered from Wednesday evening’s sport.
Edin Terzic actually has a practical streak in him, and he absolutely would’ve emphasised the necessity for Dortmund to tame Antoine Griezmann on the Estadio Metropolitano.
By stopping Griez, you shun Atleti.
As a substitute, the canny Frenchman walked everywhere in the guests within the first half, main the cost because the hosts took a 2-0 lead. Griezmann’s motion was far too slick for veteran Mats Hummels and Emre Can on the base of midfield, with Atleti accessing their talisman every time they needed.
He mixed beautifully with flying wing-back Samuel Lino all through, teeing up the Brazilian’s aim with a genius scoop to bypass Julian Ryerson. Griezmann’s affect was lowered considerably after the restart as Atleti dug in, however he ought to’ve recorded one other help for Lino from a wonderfully directed set-piece.
Dortmund have been tormented by unpredictability and woeful inconsistency this season.
Simply ten days in the past, Terzic’s facet produced an excellent defensive show to close out Bayern Munich and report their first victory on the Allianz Enviornment in nearly a decade. On Wednesday evening, they had been the masters of their very own downfall.
Terzic will really feel that each objectives surrendered had been avoidable. Ian Maatsen’s lax contact inside laid it on a plate for Rodrigo De Paul to attain the opener earlier than a miscommunication between the centre-backs kick-started the sequence which led to Atleti’s second.
They defended the transition fairly effectively after the restart, though Gregor Kobel was compelled to make an incredible save to disclaim Lino, whereas Hummels, who regarded each little bit of his 35 years, nearly handed Angel Correa a gilt-edged opening late on.
A mauling would’ve been feared when Atleti went 2-0 up after 32 minutes. Suffocated by the hosts’ strain, it regarded like BVB would succumb in a troublesome setting.
Nevertheless, Terzic’s facet are fabricated from robust stuff. They’ve already received at St James’ Park and San Siro this season, and so they’ll really feel they’ve earned a reasonably good lead to Madrid. The tie hasn’t received away from them, even when there’s work to do.
Maybe fatigued by the first-half efforts, Atleti allowed Dortmund onto them within the second half and Terzic’s subs undoubtedly made the distinction. Julian Brandt provided superior high quality when working between the traces, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens produced a superb cameo, and Haller got here off the bench to attain.
And whereas they surrendered probabilities on the different finish after halving the deficit, Bynoe-Gittens and Brandt each hit the woodwork late on.
Given Atleti’s struggles on the street, this tie is much from over. Sign-Iduna Park shall be rocking subsequent Tuesday.
