Surviving the first leg, rebellious in the second leg, praised by his proud fans for his match on Wednesday, Atletico Madrid scare Manchester City in the Wanda Metropolitano, bringing passion to the duel for a place in the semi-finals of the match. Champions League Until the last moment, but he failed, without the goal that he sought so much this Wednesday, especially in the second half, which he gave up a lot a week ago at the Etihad Stadium, where he lost a tie.

Because the plan was not given to beat City, who will be the rival of Real Madrid. Atletico was eliminated. In the first leg, he hid his fears in an intense retreat he took refuge in from the storm he felt, which wasn’t a big deal. There is no shame in his defensive spirit then, as he is as legitimate as anyone else, but in my offensive it disappeared. A survival exercise that came out alive… but only half of it. Back confirmed it.

Just like the “plan” that Atletico often resorted to to explain the problems that are not limited to what Simeone meant in the first leg, such as not giving two consecutive passes or never counter-attacking in the entire first half, I did not come out completely. It wasn’t the result, because of a minor defeat, yes, 1-0 no more, without the double value of away goals before, but the defeat after all made everything for Wednesday.

The return showed another Atletico. Much better. Undoubtedly. Neither defensive, nor committed, nor lacking in accuracy, nor, above all, frightening as presented a week ago in Manchester. Quite the opposite.

He was another in his various records navigating through him, in his way of managing how, when and where every pressure, every withdrawal, every movement, when he spotted an opposing field he had barely trampled on at the first stopWhen he dared more than he did on the Etihad Stadium, when he told his opponent that he only understood defense. He attacks his different players led by Lemar and Joao Felix.

At first he did not change the city. Later, in the second half, yes. City are a well-made team, distinguished and so strict in their style that they even withstood the first attempts by Atletico to control the match and tie, around the 20th minute. He was not intimidated by the intensity of Rogblanco’s teamFoden also did not receive the blow that Felipe gave him, moment by moment, meter by meter, pass by pass, and directed the match to a stage more in line with his qualities, also because the Madrid team fell … to advance later.

Before that, Guardiola’s group pushed Atletico into its territory, the one in which Bernardo Silva, Gundogan, Mahrez, De Bruyne and Foden feel superior, although not much this Wednesday. To further complicate what Rogblanco’s team still represented, he actually pulled out more of the Rebel, more conservative than the Rebel in the middle of the first half, City was born enough to strike fear into the locals’ bodies: two passes inside the area called for a goal, Gundogan’s shot on the post, a header of stones…

It was not a barrage. Not even anything out of this world. But much more in the first half (in more than two hours of a tie) from Atlético, who took the break with relief, to re-launch later; Within the party, as intended; No damage to his target. Without compromising too much, and above all, I live to keep the discussion going to get to the semi-finals, as he showed at the start of the second half, when Griezmann ran and ran and ran to hook a shot into the side. Not so. It was a message.

It was part of Simeone’s plan. Atlético showed up with everything in the second half, discovering the ambition of a group that feared nothing, and accepted any challenge. and dispute over it. Diego Simeone’s team that always was, wasn’t in the first leg and should have felt good about himself in the second leg, which, then yes, for the first time in the whole match, He made City in doubt, already outdone in every set, in every second game, in every split ball, without feeling as in control as ever, when he realized he hadn’t won anything, that he was still struggling. Is that true.

He did it when Griezmann’s ball was lost to the right of Ederson’s goal in the endless journey of each of the City and Atletico players, when Rojiblanco’s team took the ball from him higher and higher, when De Paul finished wide of the goal (she was one of the best players of City and Atletico). Three changes in the 69th minute with Correa and Carrasco to amplify the last attack), Unleashing everything he should have been throughout the match, he was as competitive as ever throughout the Simeone era, not just for defense, but for looking for goals, the single deciding factor in football. The difference between being or not being in the semi-finals.