Fans of Atletico Madrid had hardly feared for a worse three game run before the international break, in which two games lost to get Getafe and Barcelona in a stopping time, and a third Champions League collision against Real Madrid on penalties. Few will have experienced a more cruel series in eight days.
Los Colchoneros looked good in all three those matches on different points, but at no time could they have been more confident than when they took a two goals against Barcelona with only twenty minutes to go. In the Metropolitano, when Alexander Sorloth added a sixth match to his score against the Blaugrana, it seemed like the game was ready.
Partly because history was instructive that Atletico Madrid would take at least one point. Since taking over atletico, Diego Simeone has based his party on a solid defense and a Vechtgeest, and in the course of his 13 years at the club as a coach has never lost a match in which they have taken a two goals lead. That is, according to TV3, who say that the stop -time goals of Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres that afford them to defeat those incredible run have broken.
They mention the last time that it generally came with Atletico as 17 years ago, in 2007 under Javier Aguirre, when Nihat Kahveci and Giuseppe Rossi inspired a comeback to win 4-3 in the Vicente Calderon.
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick noted after the game that he was happy with the mentality that his players showed, and their ability to overcome difficulties. That certainly feels like their best quality so far this season, because they have linked their mental determination in previous seasons, the Blaugrana have encountered a number of difficult tests against quality quality. For Atletico, the insult adds to injury and impotence, while Diego Simeone tries to pick up his side for the last part of the season.
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