Cruellest week ends in despair for Simeone after Barça’s late flourish | La Liga

Tright here was somewhat swipe of Diego Simeone’s foot and the ball was within the internet. As Conor Gallagher had dashed up the left and offered the go, Atlético Madrid’s coach accompanied him from the opposite touchline. As Alex Sørloth offered the end he did too, black gown shoe becoming a member of his striker’s pink boot guiding the ball past Wojciech Szczesny. 10.32pm on a Sunday on the finish of the toughest week and Atlético have been 2-0 up in opposition to Barcelona, their world therapeutic. The Metropolitan exploded however Simeone didn’t run and shout, didn’t conduct the gang or clench his fist, didn’t embrace anybody, not this time. As a substitute, he gazed silently on the sky and regarded as if he may cry, a purer portrait of satisfaction.

Quickly, he may have been forgiven if the tears have been flowing. Twenty-five seconds of soccer later, Barcelona had scored. 5 minutes 25 seconds after that, they scored once more. After which, in damage time, Lamine Yamal’s shot hit Reinildo Mandava, modified path and spun into the web, even a draw taken from Atlético on 91 minutes 25 seconds. When Ferran Torres added a fourth, it was the final contact and an excessive amount of. For the primary time in 14 years and 725 video games beneath Simeone, Atlético had misplaced from two up. It took 20 minutes. Seven days after shedding a objective lead and high spot with Getafe scoring on 88 minutes and 92 minutes. 4 days after shedding to Madrid on penalties, Julián Alvarez’s spotkick dominated out for touching it twice.

The cruellest week closed the cruellest approach. All or nothing, they’d stated, and it had come up nothing. That they had led Getafe and Barcelona late and truly crushed Madrid, however right here they have been out of Europe and probably the league too, and like this. “They’ve an vital benefit; we’ve to take heed to the fact,” Simeone stated afterwards, and the fact confirmed them 4 factors off Madrid and Barcelona. Hansi Flick’s facet have a sport in hand too, and have been now leaping about on the north finish of their stadium the place Actual Madrid had celebrated earlier than. “I really feel dangerous for them,” Szczesny admitted.

There’s a line Simeone has made his personal. A cliche and never particularly intelligent, not unique, however for ever recognized with him: partido a partido. Sport by sport. Earlier than each sport, he says it. All that issues is the subsequent match. Attempt to get him to speak about anything and he gained’t, to the purpose of it changing into a working joke. This time, although, was totally different. In the beginning of his press convention on Saturday afternoon, the day earlier than Atlético confronted Barcelona, the largest fixture remaining and one that might outline the title race and diagnose his group, he started by saying: “Usually, that is the place I say ‘Barcelona’, however …”

However, he admitted, the “anger, fury and injustice” he had felt after Wednesday night time’s defeat by Actual Madrid was nonetheless there. Everybody’s minds have been nonetheless on Alvarez’s penalty, the choice dominating every little thing. Supporters teams demanded the membership attempt to get it retaken, the proof of a double contact not convincing everybody, the significance of it convincing even fewer individuals, and a correct studying of the foundations suggesting the choice was flawed. It was the sixth time they’d confronted Actual in Europe, and the sixth time they’d been knocked out, every time nearer than the final. The ache remained, just one option to diminish it. “From my place, all I can do is figure in order that the group competes the best way it competes,” Simeone stated.

And they also did. Barcelona began nicely – one beautiful transfer from Lamine Yamal noticed his shot fade simply previous the far publish – however Atlético started to take a little bit of management. And simply earlier than half-time, inside seconds of Robert Lewandowski placing one of the best alternative over the bar, an excellent objective gave them the lead: Jan Oblak to Reinildo Mandava to Antoine Griezmann to Giuliano Simeone to Alvarez, all of them one contact – sure, sure, a bit late for that.

Atlético had a lead and with 20 minutes left, the Hitman accomplished one other job, or so it appeared. Sørloth had scored at Barcelona with 23 seconds remaining two days earlier than Christmas, taking Atlético high, and now he had finished it once more. The membership’s joint highest scorer, it was the eighth in a row he had scored from the bench, and it put Atlético above Barcelona within the desk, some extent behind Madrid. However it didn’t simply imply that; it meant every little thing, all these emotions. The anger, fury and injustice, the satisfaction too, Simeone’s response telling a narrative, the emotion written throughout him. His group had acquired again up once more, rebelled, fought destiny. The title race was alive and so have been they.

If all that was on his thoughts, so too was the change. Simeone turned to centre-back José Maria Giménez, however by the point he truly launched him the lead had gone, every little thing taking place too quick. “I ought to have put him on right away,” he stated. “Soccer doesn’t allow you to off.” From the kick-off, it took 25 seconds for Lewandowski to regulate and switch simply inside the realm, hitting a superb shot on the bounce, which he admitted afterwards gave Barcelona the assumption they may truly win this. Atlético had not touched the ball from the kick-off. “The two-0 didn’t have time to be 2-0,” Simeone stated. “Barcelona get vitality, confidence from that. And right away it’s 2-2.”

Simeone Jr stated: “Their first objective is prompt, it leaves you flat, in shock … and with the second, that concern comes.” Marcos Llorente summed it up. “For the result in final a minute is shit,” he stated. “We began to really feel the 120 minutes from Wednesday, that weighed on us. We weren’t getting out to dam their crosses.”

From a type of, delivered by Raphinha 5 minutes later, Ferran Torres scored the second. Atlético got here again at them – “There have been strikes that I name ‘nearly’ however we ended up with that ‘nearly’ being nothing,” Simeone stated – but it surely remained 2-2. In eight days, Atlético have been heading in the right direction to win one, draw one, lose one and but lose all of them. When the ball got here to Lamine Yamal on 91 minutes 25 seconds, they didn’t even have the draw, as an alternative defeated on 92 minutes, penalties and 92 minutes. Lamine Yamal got here inside from Gallagher and struck a shot off Reinildo that looped into the web. He raced to the nook, tearing off his shirt, waving it and throwing it into the air, teammates racing after him from the bench and the pitch, a pile of gamers constructing within the nook. Solely Szczesny stayed put, the referee patiently ready to offer Lamine Yamal a yellow.

“I knew after I scored it will be in a giant sport,” Lamine Yamal stated; his final league objective had been within the clásico; now he had defeated Atlético, Ferran Torres rounding it off with the ultimate kick. It hadn’t been Barcelona’s finest efficiency – they could nicely have performed higher within the two earlier video games in opposition to Atlético, a 2-1 defeat within the league and a 4-4 draw within the cup. “Till the primary objective, we had simply been watching the sport go by, we are able to’t let that occur once more,” Lamine Yamal stated. The targets instructed a narrative of a special kind of victory, the ball put in from extensive not behind the defence and finally the 17-year-old’s strike had been fortuitous. However this was an enormous win, one among character as a lot as high quality to proceed the run.

“They’re unbelievable: they combat, they by no means quit. There’s a really, very lengthy option to go however I really feel like this group can do massive issues,” Flick stated.

Atlético hadn’t misplaced at dwelling. That they had conceded eight targets there all season; in 20 minutes they let in half as a lot once more and have been defeated for the primary time. Within the final two matches in opposition to Atlético, Barcelona have now scored eight. (And sure, they’ve additionally let in six.) Flick’s facet are high, with a sport in hand – in opposition to Osasuna – they usually have now gained seven league video games in a row; they haven’t misplaced for the reason that final time they confronted Atlético, again in December. Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal and Raphinha have 75 targets between them.

“A fist on the desk,” Lamine Yamal known as it. “It was a coup on the league,” the newspaper Sport stated. “Barcelona odor of champions.” Within the phrases of El Periodico this was “a insurrection that tastes just like the title”. AS known as it “a championship victory” for Barcelona and every week of ardour for Atlético – of the “of Christ” selection. Cruelty visited them once more, stated former striker Kiko, no recriminations simply remorse, redemption denied. “You don’t must say something, you simply must see how the group competes,” Simeone stated. “We are going to combat to the top and let’s see the place we’re with 5 video games left.”

“Soccer,” Szczesny stated, “is brutal.”