Out-of-sorts Atletico in a do-or-die game vs Roma
Twice Champions League finalists in the past four seasons, Atletico Madrid are staring an embarrassing and financially damaging Champions League exit in the face unless they beat an in-form Roma on Wednesday.
Even victory over the Group C leaders and away to Chelsea in two weeks may not be enough to save Atletico unless Azerbaijani Champions League debutants Qarabag can also do them a favour by taking points off one of Chelsea or Roma in their final two games. In Diego Simeone’s glorious reign as boss, only Real Madrid have previously been capable of eliminating Atletico from the Champions League. They have twice dumped out Barcelona and beat Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich en route to the 2016 final.But things are far from rosy for Atletico this season.
MADRID:
GOAL-SHY GRIEZMANN
ATLETICO’S AERIAL DEFENDING HAS COST THEM POINTS AGAINST GIRONA, CHELSEA, QARABAG, BARCELONA AND VILLARREAL.
They are yet to experience the winning feeling in the Champions League at their new 68,000capacity Wanda Metropolitano after two attempts: a late defeat to Chelsea and an even more damaging draw when Qarabag visited three weeks ago.
Indeed, after opening the 310 million-euro ($366 million) stadium with victories over Malaga and Sevilla, Atletico are winless in their last five at the Wanda Metropolitano as players and fans alike struggle to adapt to their remote new home.
Griezmann’s lack of form has been exacerbated by a dearth of other goalscoring options as Atletico have scored just 12 times in their last 15 games and failed to score more than once in a game for two months. A club record fee was splashed out in September to bring Diego Costa back to Atletico from Chelsea, but he can’t feature until January when the ban on registering new players is lifted.
In the meantime, Angel Correa, Kevin Gameiro and Fernando Torres have failed to justify a continued run in the team as Griezmann’s strike partner.
LOST THEIR HEADS
So strong were Atletico in the air during their La Liga title-winning season in 2013/14 they were nicknamed “Atletico Aviation” in reference to a club that formed part of a merger to make what is now known as Atletico Madrid in the late 1930s. This season, Atletico’s own set-piece threat has dried up, while seven of the 10 goals they have conceded have come from headers. Atletico’s aerial defending has cost them points against Girona, Chelsea, Qarabag, Barcelona and Villarreal.