Why change if it works. Why break your head when without a pure number nine your team does not lose edge and gains presence in the middle. The fig does not always fall, although it is true that with Baena and Kang-In Lee everything should be easier, but not always. The difference is the arrival of David and, above all, the presence of Julián Álvarez on the team’s bench. His moment returned, and he was willing but faced the wall of La Pandera ahead. Losing by two after a nap at the start of the second half, his forgiveness was not easy. [Narration and statistics, 3-0]
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It will be more difficult if those up front continue at their level. Perhaps the Korean was better than the Spanish international. Beautiful was his cut to Yuri on a tile to smash the post of Unai Simón in the second minute of the match. Lee has the virtue of always or almost always choosing well. That, in today’s football, is 90% elite player, the remaining 10% is talent and the Asian has it in abundance. What happens is that his companions did not start as tuned as in Seville, where they seemed like a cyclone, and the opponent was not the same either.
This Athletic of Terzic is a team with more pause than past versions and this season will pray, as it does before each match in the locker room, perhaps because Oian Sancet stays healthy throughout the season. Also Nico, of course, with the pubis problems now somewhat forgotten. Without the demand of Europe, the Basques have the option to maintain better physical tone and a more focused mind. The orphanhood left by Valverde is another factor that benefits from not having European distractions.
The first half found a more crouched Atlético than in the Pizjuán and waiting to do more damage on the counter or with a ball recovery as Hanko did and Baena finished to the hands of Simón. Meanwhile, the Basques wanted to show their local character, trying to control the game in the middle through Galarreta and Gerenabarrena and the spice that Sancet puts, who had the clearest chance in that period but was blocked by Llorente.
There were many alternatives in the game and intensity, despite the heat of this terrible summer schedule. But it cannot be said that both teams ended the danger actions with the desired clarity. In fact, when the first half was dying there was another post in favor of Atlético with a cross-shot from Barrios that almost put Simón into his own goal. Sparks in a San Mamés that saw neither dominance nor brilliance but struggle.
And the second half started oppositely. With fireworks on the local side. Simeone wonders if his players left the locker room or stayed there, because in two blinks they were two down on the scoreboard. The speed of the Williams and the precision of Robert Navarro gave double advantage to Terzic‘s men. The only positive for the Colchoneros is that they had the entire second half to try to fix the mess formed in 60 seconds.
Julián’s exit
Cholo barely wanted to wait and made four substitutions at once and among them, that of Julián Álvarez. Half an hour of redemption is little, but it is something and the Argentine wanted it from the start. The team threw itself at Unai and left the Basques the opportunity to counter and five-man defense to protect what was acquired. It would have been the icing and the first breath of apology from Julián, if Unai Simón had not pulled out a prodigious hand after a pass from Baena. But the one who found reward was Sancet in the 90th after a lightning attack.
Today was not Julián‘s day nor Cholo‘s, who ended with Llorente up front. He is good for everything, yes. But there was another nine on the bench who has come for these tasks. First rojiblanco defeat and Liverpool on the horizon. No one is expected here. Or maybe Julián.
