One factor has not modified forward of Manchester United receiving Atlético Madrid to Outdated Trafford on Tuesday. This tie continues to be vastly vital to each golf equipment, members of the European elite who as we speak have a lot in frequent, gifted with prodigiously proficient squads, burdened with huge expectations and falling nicely wanting them in the meanwhile, with questionable plans and instructions going ahead.
It nonetheless feels as if the losers will discover it onerous to digest. Having come nowhere close to a title problem (United) and a title defence (Atlético), the Champions League is just about all they’ve left. The vulnerabilities of every and the parity they share after the primary leg imply each have an incredible shot at a quarter-final spot. Those self same shortcomings imply one among them will probably be left kicking themselves at failing to take it.
Some issues have modified, although, since that first assembly, primarily for Diego Simeone‘s facet. Their glorious first-half show towards United in Madrid gave them one thing to construct on, even when they failed to take action within the second half of that sport to the extent that they could not maintain onto what would have been a deserved victory. One thing clicked into place from the second that the coach named his finest two ahead gamers as starters. The pairing of João Félix and Ángel Correa set the tone for Atleti’s feverish begin which blew United off beam, and justified leaving Antoine Griezmann and Luis Suarez on the bench.
That appears more likely to be the case once more in Manchester, regardless of Griezmann beginning alongside João Félix in Friday night time’s win over Cádiz. The Portuguese star scored once more in that newest triumph and simply as towards United, it was a really objective poacher kind of strike, closing down goalkeeper Jeremías Ledesma earlier than dispossessing him and rifling dwelling. Two-and-a-half years after his record-breaking switch from Benfica, he’s underlining that he has the killer intuition to be their centre-forward in addition to the guile to conduct the orchestra.
Since a primary leg in Madrid during which he outshone Portugal’s gold normal Cristiano Ronaldo, João Félix’s type has been merely sensational, and has lifted Atleti again into the highest 4, a place which seemed to be slipping from their grasp at first of 2022. That’s maybe the place the steadiness of this tie has shifted a bit of. Simeone would dearly like to win a trophy that he has come so near previously. The distinction is that United know that successful this season’s version might be their finest probability of constructing positive they’re again in it subsequent season. Arsenal must implode from right here at hand the initiative again to Ralf Rangnick‘s crew.
United nonetheless have purpose to hope – Jan Oblak, the erstwhile biggest goalkeeper on the planet, once more seemed shaky within the closing levels towards Cádiz, and Atleti’s defence is not fairly proper – however they have to management their desperation to beat an Atlético facet who’ve begun rebuilding their confidence and are nearer to trying the half.
Rennes tune up for Leicester return in fashion
Rennes should nonetheless be kicking themselves on the catalogue of errors – or “infantile errors,” as their coach Bruno Genesio put it – that price them a probably essential second Leicester objective within the dying embers of final week’s first leg.
That they had carried out nicely in England and actually ought to have taken one thing higher again to work with for Thursday’s return in Brittany, slightly than being outdone by the streetwise Foxes. Genesio and firm did not dwell on it anyway, flexing their attacking muscle tissues in Sunday’s spectacular 4-2 win at Lyon, underlining their Champions League credentials and why they’re Ligue 1’s must-watch crew this season.
They are going to definitely need to defend higher than within the opening sport however with the firepower they’ve – Martin Terrier, Gaetan Laborde and Jérémy Doku to call simply three up high – all the best way all the way down to their adventurous full-backs, they might make it a tough experience for Leicester.
