A very good football match.
La Liga may be a very suspect league, but the top three teams are technically very good. And this match showed the pretty sizable gap in quality between these two rivals......and the other supposed "top" league.
Finally, Real woke up to the fact that they had to BALL to even begin to think about beating Atletico. They were much livelier, much more up to the fight but they also were able to copy the Barcelona blueprint of beating Atletico. I don't mean tic-tac-toe but realising you have the better players and expressing your soul onto the pitch. Once Madrid did that, they controlled the game and had great chances to score. But kids, remember what I said last time....
GOALS WIN GAMES! NOT CHANCES!
Atletico were finding it hard to cope when Modric was allowed to get hold of the ball and pick out the passes in space to the wing and stretch that booty. But whilst there was no net bulge, Atletico remained confident and began to come back in the game.
Then Atletico showed their own brand of football, and whilst Godin mopped up at the back, Turan. And Griezemann used their very good footwork to thread passes, keep the ball and make the Madrid defence work. Without these two players, there would be little to no attacking threat to write home to mama about for Atletico.
Bale had a better game, Cristiano was...Cristiano. But I think James is able to really add a more direct thrust and dynamic into the team that you don't get from Isco. Now, I'm far from a James fanboy, but Madrid seem to flow a lot better with him in the team than Isco. And then we have Mercedes Benzema.
Is the advantage really with Madrid now? You would maybe say so, but then there is the away goal. Any G Atletico can work in will put Madrid under pressure and the way these two teams are, it could either end up in penalties or be a goal bonanza. But, my sash is on Madrid to win the tie....but they will have to WORK to get rid of their red and white itch.HH
