From Wayne : Espero Atletico
Great interview there with Paul Clement.
Good to see the likes of Real Madrid not too proud or arrogant to dismiss the potential of the opposition by “concentrating on our own game”, as do my own dear Arsenal these days.
It’s true, Atletico are so positionally aware they are rarely caught out, but this, in addition to making life extraordinarily difficult for the opponents to breach, also saves on energy expended and so we have been able to witness the remarkable increase in intensity applied just when they need to.
He may wish, though, to review the CL semi with Chelsea.
As well as playing in small pockets, the third goal was one of the most breathtaking, high speed, one-touch, crossfield goals scored that I have ever seen in a major game.
That broke Chelsea’s season.
Real will leave more space behind them than Chelsea.
Then there is the pressure. Simeone knows the pressure is on Real and he will know how to use that to his players advantage. Real must win and so they will be allowed to come so far but no further.
On the hour I expect the Real nerves to fray, and the increase in intensity from Atleti, and bang.
For a club with a wage bill apparently less than Fulham’s, it is a truly astounding feat that we are even able to talk of its possibility these days.
Good luck to Sr Simeone and the boys.