Atlético 7 - Madrid 3: a result that sent global shockwaves
Historic is a term bandied about too often by sports journalists. But Atléti’s 7-3 thrashing of Madrid was truly that.
I remember the 5-0 in 1947, when Madrid introduced numbered shirts, something which was at first ridiculed in Spain; and the 3-6 in Chamartín in 1950, during which Ben Barek was dancing after one of the goals. Both games were before I was born, which means we are looking very far back. This latest historic result was played out adjacent to New York, the world’s capital, and in a pretentious competition in which many of the world's leading clubs participate.
This shock result was produced by a well-armed and very motivated Atlético against a Madrid side with no structure in the middle. Simeone lined out a decent team, with Saul and Koke in the engine room, Joao Felix and Lemar on the flanks and Diego Costa and Morata up top.
Diego Simeone's new path
Those who have been dreaming about ‘Cholo’ changing his steel model for a more artistic one will have really been excited about yesterday. And he himself will be excited about the decision to take a new path after what he witnessed in New Jersey. Let's remember, his team were up 6-0 after 51 minutes.
As for Zidane, it was the opposite. With Modric and Kroos as a double pivot and Vinicius, Isco and Hazard behind Jovic, his team couldn't stop the Atlético onslaught. Something similar also happened against Bayern last week.
The other day, after the Bayern defeat, someone told me that they suspected Zidane was chopping and changing his team in such a way as to make things convenient for the arrival of Paul Pogba.
Florentino Peréz is still dragging his feet with Pogba and it will not make him happy to be forced into this commitment with the entire footballing world watching. And we all know that discord of this nature between the president and coach can have very bad consequences.