Manchester City – Atlético Madrid (1-0) – The cheat sheet: But how does Diego Simeone hope to qualify?

The Game: 3-4-3 vs. 5-5

A moving blackboard. As expected, this City – Atlético was a formidable opposition in style between a voracious 3-4-3 from Pep Guardiola and an unprecedented and terribly cautious 5-5 from Diego Simeone. A balance of power bordering on caricature. For 60 minutes, the Argentine coach held on to his stroke of genius, leaving only crumbs to the well-annoyed Citizens facing two lines of crazy density.

With 71% possession but only two shots on target, the champions of England have long broken their teeth. It all happened between the 60th and 70th minute. Diego Simeone’s coaching shattered the pretty dynamic of the Colchoneros and Guardiola’s brought a bit of creativity and imagination to City.

Players: The magician De Bruyne, the unfortunate Felipe

Stuck in a match that didn’t offer him many chances, Kevin De Bruyne did pretty well what he had to do until that cool goal. The entry of Phil Foden upset the thread of the meeting. On the Atlético side, Felipe’s delay on the only goal of the match cost the people of Madrid dearly. Geoffrey Kondogbia held the house well in midfield. But he was too often alone to exploit the few ammunition.

The X Factor: Phil Foden

68th minute. Pep Guardiola, often hesitant in his replacements, decides to bring in three new players including Phil Foden. The English striker will change the scenario of a match frozen in a sterile balance of power by bringing his personality and his creativity. 1’17” after coming on, it was his brilliant pass that sent Kevin De Bruyne to the promised land. Foden changed everything.

The stat: 0

No shot in 90 minutes: this is a first for Atlético Madrid under the orders of Diego Simeone. And a first for a team in the Champions League for… 10 years.

The declaration: Diego Simeone, coach of Atlético Madrid

The question: Was Diego Simeone right to be so cautious?

Did he really have a choice? Atlético was built in 2022 by going back to the basics and Simeone built the qualification against Manchester United in the round of 16 by offering what he knows how to do best: an eleven cast in concrete. Could he do anything else against City, probably the team that best knows how to use free space and punishes every adverse draft?

The real problem of the people of Madrid on Tuesday, which precipitated them into the ravine: their exit from the ball. They had exploited them perfectly at Old Trafford and they made good use of them at the start of the second half at the Etihad Stadium… until Antoine Griezmann’s exit on the hour mark. The exploitation of Joao Felix, turn-by-turn midfielder and bodyguard Cancelo, did not help the Colchoneros to get out of the balls in the rules of the art.

And to hold on like this against City for 90 minutes is impossible, even for Simeone. The plan was the right one but Atlético came up against its limits to become a caricature. Not attempting a strike in 90 minutes is the most visible syndrome. How can you expect to qualify like this?