Tag: Atletico Madrid

Did Atletico give glimpse of what could follow in Spain? | Football News – Times of India

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Atletico Madrid’s aberrant ouster from the Champions League to a suddenly slick Chelsea, is perhaps both picture and trailer of what is and what could be a revealing season in Spain. Eleven games to go, a comfortable ten-point lead more than halved in no time and Atleti, famed working class battlers of the Spanish game, are suddenly showing the fear of the finish line.
Simeone’s side made Chelsea look a lot better than they have become under Thomas Tuchel. In doing so, they have also sparked a now-valid argument that Spanish clubs are probably no longer the monsters they once were across Europe. With Barcelona too gone and Real Madrid limping on, the rise of Mbappe and Haaland imminent, the debate over this alarming dip in standard – and loss of appeal – will rage once the season winds down.
For now, was it the fear of the looming domestic scrap that made Simeone give up on Europe so feebly? With a small, tight squad, he would be wary of an advancing Barcelona, who dug deep and eked out a streak to be within striking distance as they lock horns in the penultimate week of the season. Add to that, that tricky laid-back guile of Zidane and Real Madrid in the distance, and Atletico probably would have thought it best to preserve their resources to defend their Liga lead than expend it on the continent – another manifestation of a less rich club navigating the home stretch. Atletico had a budget of just 253m euros this season. For all their financial goof-ups, Barcelona still enjoyed 382.7m euros, while Real Madrid had 468.5m.
Atletico’s early surge, as Barca squabbled and Real sought new vision, was in large part to the ambition of Luis Suarez, seeking a vindication in his typical underdog fashion, almost making him the story of the season. In the 149 minutes over two legs against Chelsea, he had a mere two shots at goal. He hasn’t had a Champions League goal all season, but with 18 goals in 24 games so far in the Liga, his was the impetus that Atleti rode on at home.
Once top of the charts, the Uruguayan has since relinquished the top scorer spot to Messi – old friends, now rivals – and both seek personal redemption of sorts this season. Messi was adamant to leave Barcelona, Suarez was off-loaded unceremoniously. Now, as one seeks to cancel the other out, in Spain, a chasing pack sputters and a runaway leader finds himself lacking in pace.

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champions league: Chelsea march into Champions League quarters with win over Atletico Madrid | Football News – Times of India

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LONDON: Chelsea beat Atletico Madrid 2-0 on Wednesday to reach the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time since 2014 as Hakim Ziyech and Emerson Palmieri were on target to give coach Thomas Tuchel’s rejuvenated team a 3-0 aggregate win.
Ziyech squeezed the ball under Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak in the 34th minute of the last-16 second leg as he connected with a cross from Timo Werner who had raced down the left after being fed by fellow German Kai Havertz.
The three players involved in the goal had come under pressure after falling short of expectations since they arrived as big-money signings at Stamford Bridge last summer.
Substitute Emerson made sure of the victory with a 94th-minute strike on the break for Chelsea’s second goal.
Atletico were left to rue referee Daniele Orsato’s decision not to give a penalty when, with the score at 0-0, Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta underhit a back pass and put his arm around Yannick Carrasco who went down in the box.

The leaders of Spain’s La Liga struggled to pierce Chelsea’s defence with the tireless N’Golo Kante providing extra protection from midfield.
Coach Diego Simeone hauled off Uruguay striker Luis Suarez in the 59th minute and replaced him with Angel Correa to little effect as he failed to repeat his feat of 2014 when he masterminded a Champions League semi-final win over the Blues.
The visitors finished the game with 10 men after Stefan Savic was shown a red card in the 82nd minute for elbowing Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger in the chest at a corner.
The win left Chelsea unbeaten in 13 games since Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard as coach in January. He has engineered a turnaround founded on a defence that has let in only two goals under the German, who led Paris St Germain to last year’s final.

“This is another top performance with a deserved win,” Tuchel told BT Sport although he conceded he had been a “bit frightened” by the penalty scare.
“They tried to press up very high in the first half but they opened up some spaces in the back of the midfield and we could exploit it and then scored a fantastic goal. It gave us a lot of confidence,” he said.
Simeone said Chelsea deserved the win. “The first game was more even but today they were superior to us. We tried to press them high and make it hard for them to play out from the back and we managed that occasionally,” the Argentine said.
“I won’t look for excuses and whether or not it was a penalty. The referee made his decision. They were better than us and when your opponent is better you have to congratulate them.”



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Chelsea Beat Atletico Madrid to March Into Quarters

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Chelsea and Atletico Madrid (Photo Credit: Twitter)

Chelsea and Atletico Madrid (Photo Credit: Twitter)

Hakim Ziyech and Emerson Palmieri scored on the night as Chelsea beat Atletico Madrid 3-0 aggregate win to reach the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time since 2014.

  • Reuters LONDON
  • Last Updated:March 18, 2021, 07:30 IST
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Chelsea beat Atletico Madrid 2-0 on Wednesday to reach the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2014 as Hakim Ziyech and Emerson Palmieri were on target to give coach Thomas Tuchel’s rejuvenated team a 3-0 aggregate win.

Ziyech squeezed the ball under Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak in the 34th minute of the last-16 second leg as he connected with a cross from Timo Werner who had raced down the left after being fed by fellow German Kai Havertz.

The three players involved in the goal had come under pressure after falling short of expectations since they arrived at Stamford Bridge in big-money signings last summer.

Substitute Emerson made sure of the victory with a 94th-minute strike on the break for Chelsea’s second goal.

Atletico were left to rue referee Daniele Orsato’s decision not to give a penalty when, with the score at 0-0, Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta underhit a back pass and put his arm around Yannick Carrasco who went down in the box.

The leaders of Spain’s La Liga struggled to pierce Chelsea’s defence with the tireless N’Golo Kante providing extra protection from midfield.

Coach Diego Simeone hauled off Uruguay striker Luis Suarez in the 59th minute and replaced him with Angel Correa to little effect as he failed to repeat his feat of 2014 when he masterminded a Champions League semi-final win over the Blues.

The visitors finished the game with 10 men after Stefan Savic was shown a red card in the 82nd minute for elbowing Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger in the chest at a corner.

The win left Chelsea unbeaten in 13 games since Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard as coach in January. He has engineered a turnaround founded on a defence that has let in only two goals under the German, who led Paris St Germain to last year’s final.

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La Liga: Real Madrid overcome Elche 2-1 with late Benzema double | Football News – Times of India

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MADRID: Karim Benzema saved Real Madrid for the second week running on Saturday, his two goals dragging his team to a 2-1 win over struggling Elche in La Liga.
After Benzema’s late equaliser salvaged a draw against Atletico Madrid last weekend, the Frenchman came up trumps again, a brilliant shot flying in off the post in the 91st minute to snatch a crucial home victory at Valdebebas.
Real Madrid move five points behind Atletico in La Liga although Diego Simeone’s team can restore their advantage to eight by beating Getafe later on Saturday.
Barcelona, who are six points back, face bottom club Huesca on Monday.
Benzema recovered from injury just in time to play Atletico and his three goals since have earned his team four points in seven days, while also denying Atletico a crucial win.
After heading in the equaliser against Elche, Benzema delivered a special winner, catching the ball in the air with a superb shot that found the far corner.
“It was a beautiful goal and it won us three points, so I’m happier than ever,” he said.
Sergio Ramos returned from a knee injury to make his first appearance since January, although the defender came off shortly after an hour, meaning his availability for Tuesday’s Champions League game at home to Atalanta is perhaps not guaranteed.
Eden Hazard, who has also been out since January, came off the bench in the second half and could play in midweek, when Madrid will start with a 1-0 advantage from the first leg.
Toni Kroos and Luka Modric were rested, perhaps with that game in mind, but both were needed by Zidane before the end.
Madrid were the better team in the first half but there was hardly a chance to show for it, the only real opening falling to Benzema at the back post as Fede Valverde released Vinicius Junior down the right but his cross bounced awkwardly for Benzema, who shot wide.
Both sides wanted penalties early in the second half, with Elche’s Ivan Marcone fortunate to be awarded a free-kick when he looked more culpable in a tangle with Ramos.
Then Ramos escaped punishment for a challenge on Guido Carrillo.
Shortly after, Elche took the lead. Ramos shielded his eyes as if struggling with the sun and the corner found Dani Calvo, who climbed above Raphael Varane to head in off the crossbar.
Ramos, Isco and Fede Valverde made way for Modric, Kroos and Rodrygo, and 10 minutes later Madrid were level. Modric collected a short corner and swung a cross into the back post, where Benzema nodded in.
There were 17 minutes left to find a winner but it came in injury-time. Benzema scooped the ball up to Rodrygo on the edge of the area. He cushioned it back to the striker, who caught the ball in the air with a brilliant shot that flew in off the far post.

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