Diego Pablo Simeone and his players began to perceive the importance of playing the second game of the tie at home when the bus boarded Luis Aragonés Avenue and the overflowing noise of thousands of fans could not be seen on the roadsides. Without the epic of facing a comeback or defending the result of the first leg, the ambient temperature drops. There was noise and flares, but the inflamed atmosphere of other European nights was not generated. There was, however, in the stands, overexcited with the overwhelming first half that his team offered. The second act, in which Dortmund dominated the match and narrowed the tie with Haller’s goal, also confirmed the importance of playing the second leg at home. Atlético will have to survive the cauldron that will be the Westfalenstadion. “I see it as very hard, strong, important. We have to be prepared for whatever comes our way,” Simeone predicted. “He was a tough rival, good. Until minute 60-70 we had control of the game but they played well. I think the changes generated one more step in the game and we went backwards,” admitted the Argentine coach.
2
Oblak, Witsel (Savic, min. 90), Azpilicueta, Giménez, Marcos Llorente, Nahuel Molina (Saúl, min. 90), Samuel Lino (Rodrigo Riquelme, min. 90), Koke, De Paul (Correa, min. 79) , Griezmann and Morata (Pablo Barrios Rivas, min. 63)
1
Gregor Kobel, Julian Ryerson, Ian Maatsen, Hummels, Nico Schlotterbeck, Jadon Sancho, Felix NMecha (Brandt, min. 45), Karim Adeyemi (Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, min. 73), M. Sabitzer (Marco Reus, min. 83 ), Emre Can (Salih Ozcan, min. 84) and Füllkrug (Sébastian Haller, min. 60)
Goals 1-0 min. 4: From Paul. 2-0 min. 32: Samuel Lino. 2-1 min. 81: Sebastian Haller.
Referee Marco Guida
Yellow cards Emre Can (min. 23), Samuel Lino (min. 26), Marcos Llorente (min. 28), Ian Maatsen (min. 53) and Giménez (min. 75)
“I leave with the feeling of having won the first game, which is important. We had chances, that of Lino and Griezmann, and we could have also tied. Given what was seen in the other qualifying matches, it is difficult to win. We know that we are going to a field where we are going to suffer against a team that plays well and that today with the changes was winning duels and doing damage on the outside with fresh people. But there we are going to have spaces, and we have to attack well,” Simeone added. Rather than making self-criticism, the Argentine coach attributed the step back taken by his team to physical wear and tear. “When I win I am happy, as I am when the team plays the way it played. Maintaining the level after the 70 minutes we did is very difficult. It is normal that at this point you find yourself with a rival who generates what he generates,” Simeone concluded.
Antonie Griezmann expressed himself along the lines of his coach. “We have won, which is the important thing. The ending doesn’t matter. It’s a shame about the goal conceded and that feeling of having been all behind at the end defending, but it’s important to win the first leg in the quarterfinals. “To rest well and go to Germany to win too,” said the French attacker. Griezmann also admitted that Atlético ended up exhausted in their area. They had the ball in the second half, they put us behind. We will have to see the atmosphere in Germany, we already know that stadium. You will have to know how to suffer and win. We have the level to go to the semifinals. “We have to prove it,” Griezmann said.
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