Champions League Semifinal 1 first leg: Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid
It will be a very tough match because it’s very rare that two teams from the same city, that too a capital city like Madrid, end up in the Champions league semifinal against each other. The last I could think of when it happened was back in 2003 when Inter played AC Milan.
Now, both of these teams have met twice in the Champions League Final in last three years and Real have eliminated Atletico thrice from the Champions League in the same period. However, all these games were very competitive, especially the finals.While one was won on penalties the other was won by a last minute goal that Real managed to score.
I also look at this match as a clash of ideologies. Real Madrid on one side, one of the richest clubs in the world, like to buy all the best players in the world, kind of like creating a death squad. Atletico on the other side, are a team that like to build its team with the players who are willing to work on a shoe-string budget. They are a developing team with a very dedicated and committed manager in Diego Simeone, who has made them very cohesive so it’s also kind of clash of cultures and ideologies.
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I think that Atletico’s best chance is a draw, in all due respect, because playing in an away match first and at home, they can get the desired result. They know pretty well how to play at their home ground and they eliminated Barcelona last season in the second leg like that, on their own turf. So a draw could be a very good result for them in this situation.But taking an away goal to Vicente Calderón stadium could prove really crucial in this fixture.
Unlike the last Finals they have played, this time it’s going to be a two-leg semi-final and this provides Atletico with a better opportunity to win because Real brings some sheer class in a one-off Final.
But also one crucial factor that will decide this match is that of injuries.The final will be decided by the players who are missing. For Real Madrid, it would be the likes of Gareth Bale and Pepe. While Varane is still doubtful. For Atletico, four players are injured i.e. Juanfran, Giménez, Fernández and Vrsaljko. But the real difference will be made by Gimenez, whose pairing in the central defence with Diego Godin is very impactful. Also, the absence of Vrsaljko and Juanfran will make matters worse as their Right flank is very weak. They might have a problem here but what they also have is a fantastic fighting spirit.
It will be difficult to stop the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and company. The injury factor gives Real Madrid a slight edge. Even a 1-2 defeat for Atletico can be a termed as a good result for them, taking into consideration the second leg.
Diego Simeone has said he is not willing to play extra-time in the second leg. This situation, however, can be really tricky for Real as Atletico has a psychological advantage in that situation of fielding a goalkeeper like Oblak, who is a far better goalkeeper than Navas. Atletico also held Real to a 1-1 draw in the La Liga fixture on 8th April and that result would really motivate them really well. Pressure is indeed on Real Madrid.