Alerted by another discouraging start, with a goal against in the 10th minute that goes far beyond forcefulness, he Atlético de Madrid resurfaced rebelliouslyspare of ambition, pressure, overflow and goals against the PSV to achieve an essential comeback in the race for the 'top' of the Champions League (2-3), which included a final stretch of suffering and which miraculously did not end in a draw.
A necessary response for an hour from Diego Simeone's team, which started badly, but he got it back in time, with the goals from Julián Alvarez, David Hancko and Alexander Sorloth; as soon as he felt that he could not continue like this every time he went away from the Metropolitano and as soon as he clearly conveyed to his rival that he was going to win it no matter what, because he was better in every place on the field and in every name. And he confirmed it on the field. The only place that counts.
Beyond the final suffering, it was not another triumph. Neither for the value of the three points, so necessary to remain in the competition for avoiding the intermediate round and for classification (he has 12 out of 18 with two games left against Galatasaray and Bodo Glimt), nor for the three goals (he had not scored so many goals away from home this season) nor for how he reacted, with a determination that has not been seen far from its stadium for a long time. Maybe in the first half against Betis and Mallorca. And little else. It still needs to improve: its beginning and end require new reflection.
Local verticality
Before, Atlético started the game a quarter of an hour late. PSV didn't need anything out of this world to make it 1-0. Precision, verticality and three touches to overwhelm the visiting defense. It is not only a question of forcefulness (although it was clearly lacking in a Sorloth shot and in some defensive plays in the first section), to which Simeone uniquely limited his explanation of the irregularity away from home this season, but of many other added aspects that may come together there. Then he remedied them.
Sorloth, in a PSV – Atlético de Madrid action. / Patrick Post / AP
It was then only the tip of the iceberg. The goal against, in just ten minutes, implied other perspectives. One was positional. No one arrived in time for either of the first two passes, key in the launch after Driouch's lethal speed, which was unreachable for Molina, surpassed a little more every second. He never reached it.
Pubill was dislocated in the first movement out and Hancko separated, with tremendous space for the winger's run, there was no possible coverage at any time during his journey from almost the middle of the field to the other area, when Guus Til pushed the goal. His twelfth goal of the course. Atlético was once again in evidence as a visitor. Even Driouch wasted two other very clear options. He chose very badly in both.
More volume
Why PSV's left wing (the right wing of the Madrid team) was an initial problem for Atléticopersonified in Nahuel Molina, surpassed then when Driouch faced him. But the staging revealed more defects. One about football, which also amended it as The volume of Koke and, above all, Pablo Barrios increased. The two took over the midfield, supported by the help of Giuliano and Nico.
And there the meeting changed. As soon as the two took more weight in possession, the team felt more powerful, more confidentwith his first real chance of the match, which highlighted another problem that appears from time to time in some moments: Sorloth's punch.
disastrous header
His finishing skill is unpredictable so many times, he never knows what will happen when he connects the ball, no matter what the opportunity. Suddenly the most accurate scorer – there are some impressive goals and matches in his career in the red and white team, already with 29 hits in 73 duels – also fails too much at times for the effectiveness needed by a team that wants to aspire to everything. The center of Julian Alvarez It was a gift, Sorloth's header was a disaster.
But it was already another game then, very different, at the pace of Koke and BarriosAtlético was better in all sectors and in all aspects, including Sorloth, who later played a very good game.
The Madrid team is also more conclusive in its pressure from above, capable of stealing faster and higher to play in the opposite field, which is where it feels and performs best, without much ground to create passes. You need speed and verticality. When he combines them with precision and space, he is incontestable for any opponent.
Pablo Barrios fired two shots, Julián Alvarez tried several times, between that control he calmed the exits to the PSV counterattack that had done so much damage in the first quarter of an hour and he deservedly leveled the match on the scoreboard in the 37th minute. The 1-1 score was the result of their pressure, but also of their ambition and the recklessness of Yarek, who fell asleep when the ball was released: Giuliano Simeone took it away, Sorloth kept it and Julián Alvarez pushed it into the goalwith Kovar already completely beaten, within the already unequivocal and evident trend of Atlético's superiority, which dismasted PSV, supported by Kovar in a great maneuver by the Norwegian attacker, better with the passing of each minute.
Hancko and Sorloth sentence
And Atlético scored at the start of the second half, with the forcefulness that Simeone demanded the day before: a low shot from Nahuel Molina from a distance was stopped as best he could by Kovar, who left the ball dead for Hancko's goal in the 52nd minuteand a great play between Julián Alvarez and Pablo Barrios, whose final center was a gift, Sorloth finished it off, this time, inside the goal opposite in 56.
The path to follow for Atlético in future visits… until then. Until, suddenly, between the changes and the advantage, he gave life to PSV again, with a goal from a corner kick finished off by Ricardo Pepi at the far post, with five minutes left, amid the unexpected suffering of a team that still has too many lapses, even on the verge of receiving the tie. He did not regret it because of a tremendous mistake by Pepi into an almost empty goal, between an unbearable sequence of corners against him, with the only relief of the final whistle.
Technical sheet
2 – PSV Eindhoven: Kovar; Destroy, Schute, Yarek (Obis, m. 59), Salah-Eddine; Veerman, Junior Mother, Wanner, m. 59); Saibari, Til (Pepi, m. 73) and Dry (Perisic, m. 81).
3 – Atlético de Madrid: Oblak; Molina, Pubill, Hancko, Ruggeri; Giuliano (Le Normand, d. 89), Barrios, Koke (Almada, d. 76), Nico González (Gallagher, d. 69); Sorloth (Griezmann, d. 76) and Julián Alvarez.
Goals: 1-0, m. 10: Til. 1-1, m. 37: Julián Alvarez. 1-2, m. 52: Hancko. 1-3, m. 56: Sorloth. 2-3, m. 85: Pepi.
Arbitrator: Michael Oliver (England). He gave a yellow card to the locals Saibari (m. 21), Schouten (m. 33), Mauro Júnior (m. 40) and Yarek (m. 54) and the visitors Giuliano (m. 48), Barrios (m. 50) and Ruggeri (m. 92).
Incidences: Match corresponding to the fifth day of the Champions League, played at the Philips stadium in Eindhoven in front of around 35,000 spectators.
