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Axel Witsel had stated that Atlético Madrid needed to play as if there was no second leg and for a lot of a loud night time on the Metropolitano, it appeared his facet may make good on that strategy, successfully ending the tie right here. As an alternative, having dominated the primary half and brought a 2-0 lead, then defended it the best way they used to, preserving Borussia Dortmund at a protected distance and creating possibilities to have scored a 3rd, an 81st-minute aim from Sébastian Haller means every thing remains to be in play in six days’ time.
It might need been much more on a knife edge too, Julian Brandt hitting the bar with the final contact of a loud night time. In the end, Rodrigo De Paul and Samuel Lino’s objectives had been simply sufficient, and when Diego Simeone involves analyse this, he’ll at the very least take consolation from the truth that they’ve a lead.
The harm was completed inside half an hour, Dortmund unable to dwell with Atlético – or, it turned out, with their very own self-destruction, the panic that set in as Simeone’s facet got here at them. Antoine Griezmann created the primary likelihood for Álvaro Morata inside two minutes. On that event, Ian Maatsen slid in quick to make an excellent interception, simply as Morata steadied himself to shoot, but when the Dutch defender had come to the rescue of his workforce there, lower than two minutes later he condemned them. Not that he was alone: their goalkeeper Gregor Kobel elevating a hand to take his share of accountability.
Kobel’s go had put Maatsen underneath strain, however the route he selected out of it was all improper, the ball performed blind and to De Paul, who took one contact to regulate after which guided it into the online with the surface of his foot. This place felt prefer it may come crumbling down; for some time, Dortmund did. Three minutes later, an outrageous backheeled volley from Witsel drew an excellent save from Kobel – it would at the very least have settled him however did nothing to settle his teammates.
Atlético had been first to each ball, fast into the house. On the left, Lino was having fun with operating at them. Simply inside him, Griezmann was operating every thing. Dortmund had been overrun, seemingly terrified, moments of startlingly public weak point all too many.
One, involving Marcel Sabitzer and Maatsen, gave Griezmann a shot that was blocked, resulting in a nook which ran via all of them.
These weren’t remoted moments: each time Atlético got here close to them, you would virtually really feel the worry, which defined Dortmund utilizing possession not a lot to assault as to attempt to take the menace from the sport. When some neat footwork from Jadon Sancho pressured a nook on half an hour, it was their first – it was additionally the primary time they’d superior in any respect.
From the nook, Felix Nmecha leapt to go simply over however the impression was quickly gone. Precisely 60 seconds handed from that to Atlético doubling the lead.
Once more, Dortmund did it to themselves, the second aim much more comedian than the primary. From a throw in, Mats Hummels and Nico Schlotterbeck obtained in one another’s approach and misplaced the ball, leaving it within the worst attainable place: on the ft of Griezmann. The Frenchman scooped a beautiful go to Lino to attain. That was 8-1 in pictures, 2-0 in objectives.
Dortmund did react this time. Jan Oblak made a pointy save from Maatsen’s shot from the sting of space after Karim Adeyemi had run at them and, with Atlético correctly uncovered for the primary time, Sancho smashed extensive simply earlier than half-time, a touch ultimately that there could possibly be a recreation right here in spite of everything.
With Julian Brandt launched initially of the second half, it appeared there actually is likely to be. This was completely different now. Atlético’s intentions had been too, pressured again and centered extra on defending what they’d, on defending – which they did higher than Dortmund had.
This regarded extra just like the Atlético of outdated, one thing they’ve struggled to be this season. Brandt curled a free-kick extensive from 25 yards, which tended to be as close to to aim as Atlético would allow them to get.
On the different finish, in the meantime, there have been moments when Atlético obtained a lot nearer: first, a Marcos Llorente ball ran proper throughout the six-yard field after which Lino couldn’t fairly nudge an excellent Griezmann free-kick over the road with Kobel recovering quick to make an distinctive save.
Subsequent Llorente once more reached the byline or even perhaps went past it, provided the prospect to assault by but extra nervousness on the again. This time he stood up the cross for Lino to go extensive. Which may have been it, however lower than a minute later, your complete tie turned. Two incisive passes did it, the second from Brandt discovering Haller, by way of Nahuel Molina’s leaping and in the end flawed try to clear.
Turning inside the realm, the Ivorian struck past Oblak. Dortmund had been alive; they had been very practically stage quickly after when Jamie Bynoe-Gittens’ shot thundered off the bar. Nor was that the top of it, Brandt’s header discovering the identical vacation spot on the loss of life. There will probably be a second leg in Dortmund subsequent week, and it guarantees to be fairly one thing between these two groups.
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