Neither with Griezmann nor without Griezmann

Moment in which Gil Manzano expels João Félix during Atlético-Athletic (0-0) held this Saturday at the Wanda Metropolitano.

(AP Photo / Manu Fernandez) Manu Fernandez / AP

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With the most polished bunch of strikers in his memory, Atlético once again signed the second consecutive draw at zero at home. In some way, the duel with Athletic was a carbon copy of the one played with Porto. The champion was barely able to blow up his rival's defensive system. He competed and did not lose in trench football, which for his coach is always something to keep in mind, but in attack nullity reigned. With Griezmann and also without him.

The

slate

duels

between Simeone and Marcelino have managed to raise the expectation of contemplating how weaknesses are sought to hurt themselves.

The two have moved away from simply waiting for the opposite in their own field.

They have taken a step forward.

Now they want to be compact further out of their area, but without forgetting that concessions are sinful.

And if they look to see how they can hurt, they also do it so as not to let themselves be done.

Under this last parameter, a large part of the meeting moved.

ATM

0

-

0

ATH

Atlético Oblast, Savic, Giménez, Mario Hermoso, De Paul, Kondogbia (Héctor Herrera, min. 54), Marcos Llorente, Trippier (Matheus Cunha, min. 76), Renan Augusto (Carrasco, min. 54), Griezmann (Luis Suárez, min. 54) and Correa (João Félix, min. 59) AthleticUnai Simón, Daniel Vivian, Balenziaga, Íñigo Martínez, Lekue, Berenguer, Muniain (Jon Morcillo, min. 80), Dani García (Oier Zarraga, min. 86), Unai Vencedor (Vesga, min. 79), Raúl García (Nicholas Williams, min. 62) and Williams (Villalibre, min. 62)

Goals Referee Jesús Gil Manzano Yellow cards Dani García (min. 29), Kondogbia (min. 35), João Félix (min. 77), Savic (min. 78), Nicholas Williams (min. 81), Matheus Cunha (min. 89) and Giménez (min. 96) Red cards João Félix (min. 77)

Simeone gave Carrasco and Luis Suárez a break to form the attack with Griezmann and Correa. Without Koke, injured, Simeone kept Kondogbia as anchor, lined up De Paul for Lemar, also touched, and with the return of Trippier he resurrected Marcos Llorente as midfielder. And on that side, launched by De Paul's millimetric orientation changes, a frenetic Atlético was started that gave Griezmann two goals in his boots in just ten minutes. In the first, the Frenchman held on before winning the first stick with an acceleration. He forced the boot in and the shot was out of control. In the second, he lacked a spark to resolve another Llorente center in the small area. There Atlético died and Athletic grew. Without generating danger, but threatening to any carelessness.And the three centrals had it in a ball to Iñaki Williams that they swallowed. The Athletic striker hooked the shot badly.

With the surprise effect of De Paul's game changes reduced by repetitive ones, Atlético could barely find their attacking partner. Correa had a couple of botched flings after executing his favorite sequence well, control and spin. Griezmann had little impact. The player who went to Barça hoarded more ball, perhaps because the team had fewer players with management. He got lost and the feeling begins to emerge that he always played better with a leading forward as he himself has confessed on many occasions. This time, the whistles were no longer so widespread, but not even with those did the expected player take off.

Canned the game by tactics, there was some escape in the Lodi lane, but the Brazilian has the sensitivity of the touch for off-point threads. Another first half went to limbo to the champion and there are already a few.

A pass that Lodi finally adjusted and Correa's header kicked off the second half.

Athletic responded when Iñaki Williams opened a highway between Giménez's legs to meet Oblak.

He lacked a finer ankle so that his attempt to cross the ball before the Slovenian's bilge took effect and door.

Simeone did not like what he saw.

More because of what his team was not able to generate in attack.

So he went back to ordering a triple change.

Kondogbia, injured, left his place to Herrera, Griezmann to Luis Suárez and Lodi to Carrasco.

For the third time in a row, the Frenchman and João Félix did not meet again on the field, <TB> who entered through Correa shortly after.

Cholo does not see opportune at the moment to mix those who are supposed to be the two best players on the squad.

Thoughtlessness

A low and crossed shot by Marcos Llorente at the post was a crumb in the midst of the prevailing defensive sobriety. There, Athletic came out the winner and stayed with the final stretch of the match when João Félix was sent off for not controlling himself in a foul in favor. Gil Manzano pointed her out, but he also showed her yellow for judging that she had put her hand out [at a leisurely pace to get rid of her defender. The referee did not consent to the subsequent disregard of the Portuguese, who called him crazy with his finger on one temple, and got the second yellow. João Félix lacked maturity when his team demanded a game, his.

With ten and without football, Atlético wanted to win by shoving, but for those battles Athletic de Marcelino is also trained, who could even take the three points if Villalibre had put the softest foot under the ball to save Oblak.

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