MADRID, Oct. 12 (EUROPA PRESS) –
Atletico de Madrid could not (0-0) with Bruges this Wednesday in the fourth day of the Champions League mortgaging their chances of being in the round of 16, because of the visiting goal, a Mignolet who even stopped them with his face to remain unbeaten.
Those of Diego Pablo Simeone besieged their rival, saved the delicate moments -the VAR corrected a penalty against–, but between the Belgian central defenders and their goalkeeper they stayed at zero. The rojiblancos add four points, still alive because Bayer Leverkusen and Porto are in three with their match pending, while with 10, Bruges celebrated their classification in the Metropolitan.
The table does not deceive and, despite being unexpected, Bruges demonstrated in the Spanish capital its danger and the condition of leader that it brought and strengthened. In the same way, an Atletico that started at the bottom put everything, together with its fans, to change the script. The local team even started over excited, a common sin in these cases.
The entire ‘Cholo’ team was at stake and in the desire to go up, he neglected the rearguard a couple of times but Jutglà was not lethal this time as in the first leg. Olsen won the right wing a couple of times but the blood did not reach the river. Atletico went into action with a plugged-in Griezmann in his 100% red-and-white condition.
This week’s agreement with Barca left behind the calculator of the minutes and the Frenchman was in all of them although he lacked the goal. Lemar retaliated from a damaging loss with a recovery that gave his compatriot the first good one. Then it was Correa who forgave after a nice play with two walls in front and again Griezmann ran into the rival goal in a flying header.
The pressure, Kondogbia’s steals and Molina’s good projection gave total control to an Atletico team that collided with a Mignolet with another fact that does not lie, zero goals in three games. The visiting goalkeeper mounted two cons after local corner kicks and the second was very close to costing the 0-1.
Between Olsen and Vanaken they took the ball to the rival area and Molina committed a penalty on the second, but the VAR changed the referee’s idea by showing a foul by the Belgian in the same throw. The Metropolitan sounded like a goal on the verge of halftime, but it was clear that the afternoon was to suffer and Mignolet, the greatest enemy.
Atletico resumed action, once again adding many troops up front and with Griezmann on another couple of good occasions frustrated by the Belgian goalkeeper. The ‘Cholo’ did not hesitate to change the offense, inside Morata, Carrasco and De Paul, to continue pressing, with Bruges well armed behind but without the ball and almost out, although Jutglà caught his in that first third of the second act.
The point was worth to those of Carl Hoefkens and thus they were reinforced behind while the ‘Cholo’ burned ships above, all except that of an angry Joao Felix on the bench to see Witsel enter for Griezmann. Brugge was left with 10 due to Sowah’s second yellow card in the 82nd minute and the game died in the Belgian box with a giant Mignolet.
The goalkeeper stopped Morata from point-blank with his face and then another one from Cunha, also in a small area. Halloween night or directly from Halloween, Atletico’s nightmare had a first and last name, waiting for what Bayer and Porto do and two days in which they will need to win and surely some favor.
ATLETICO DE MADRID: Oblak; Molina, Savic, Gimenez, Reinildo, Saul (Cunha, min.73), Kondogbia, Koke (De Paul, min.60), Lemar (Morata, min.60), Correa (Carrasco, min.60) and Griezmann (Witsel , min.79).
BRUGES: Mignolet; Odoi, Mechele, Sylla, Onyedika; Nielsen, Olsen (Meijer, min.50), Vanaken; Buchanan (Mata, min.84), Jutglà (Balanta, min.73) and Sowah.
–REFEREE: Danny Makkelie (HOL). He admonished (Savic (min.45+2), Kondogbia (min.80) by Atletico. And Buchanan (min.44), Sowah (min.45+2), Vanaken (min.46) and Mignolet ( min.90) at Bruges, expelling Sowah for a second yellow (min.82).
–STADIUM: Civitas Metropolitano, 60,810 spectators.
Source: Europa Press
