Atletico in dire need of miracle to make it beyond group stage

MADRID: Atletico Madrid woke up with a Halloween hangover on Wednesday needing a “miracle” to make it beyond the Champions League group stage after failing to beat Azerbaijani debutants Qarabag for the second time in two weeks.

Since the arrival of Diego Simeone six years ago, Atletico have been transformed into a European powerhouse. Los Rojiblancos won the Europa League in the Argentine’s first year and reached two Champions League finals, a semi-final and a quarterfinal in the past four seasons.

IN DESTINY’S HAND

Simeone, though, was left praying that “destiny” will favour his side, who need to beat Roma and Chelsea in their final two Group C games and hope Qarabag can do them a favour by adding another draw to their impressive first appearance in the group phase.

“I believe you get what you deserve,” said Simeone.

“We have to try to beat Roma and then destiny will decide if we deserve to continue or are eliminated.” “More than a miracle needed,” read the front page of Madrid sports daily Marca alongside a picture of the off-form Antoine Griezmann with his head in his hands.

For years Atletico have punched above their weight. According to Deloitte’s Football Money League, they had only the 12th highest income of clubs across Europe in 2016 of 228.6 million euros ($266 million).

Yet, in UEFA’s coefficient to judge European performance over the past five years they sit third - behind only cross-city rivals and perennial scourge in the Champions League, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich.

Atletico now face the cost of failure having just moved into their new 68,000 capacity Wanda Metropolitano home at a cost of 310 million euros.

Despite a FIFA ban on registering new players until January, Atletico still splashed out over 90 million euros on Diego Costa’s return and Spanish international Vitolo in recent months.