The old foes meet again for the fourth successive season in the Champions League and no doubt that the fondness between them would have grown as high as Steven Gerard’s league title. There have been one winner in this tie, at least in the Champions League, where Real Madrid have been the Adele in Atletico Madrid’s heart break. Diego Simeone and his goons will tell you the “past is past” but it is almost inconceivable that they wouldn’t have revenge on their minds, given the circumstances in which they lost each of their last three Champions League ties against Real Madrid. Revenge or redemption, Atletico Madrid is not escaping the ghost of the past, but this is not to suggest the emotion is not as high in the Santiago Bernabeu. Real Madrid are also presented with an opportunity to win a double, something more rare than Indian films without dance scenes. The match is usually decided by small margins and here are four players who could decide those margins.
Antoine Greizmann
Like the many difficulties plus size people encounter in boarding Danfo buses in Lagos, Real Madrid’s defense experience a lot more in picking up the runs of Antoine Griezmann. Slick like baby’s oil, the Frenchman evades Real Madrid’s defense so well even Kemen would be envious. At the Bernabeu is where Griezmann saves his best, with all of his goals (3) for Atletico in the Madrid derby coming at the home ground of their eternal rivals. Though Griezmann’s goal record against Real Madrid would hardly break a mosquitoes’ leg, Atletico would do well to get the ball to him because in each occasion he has scored against Real, Atletico didn’t end up on the losing side.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Would there even be a list without Cristiano Ronaldo? More often than not he decides this stage of the competition. He has scored more goals (10) in the semi final, quarter final (18) and the entire knockout stage (49) than any other player in the history of the Champions League. His influence on the overall game of Real Madrid has dwindled in the last few years largely due to age and partly to formation and the obvious fact that he would struggle to dribble past a PCHN pole now which makes him deadly inside the box and pedestrian on outside it. But despite this, his significance to the team hasn’t dropped and he is still the man Real Madrid look towards to get those goals that has come as many times as the entire history of Atletico Madrid. Yes!, you heard it right- Cristiano Ronaldo (100 goals) as scored as many goals as the entire history of Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
Marcelo
Marcelo is arguably the best left back in the world but his significance to Real Madrid isn’t defending rather it is attacking. In a game against Atletico Madrid where spaces are few and far between, Marcelo five aside skills are relied upon to create openings and gaps for the forwards to exploit. With more assists (11) than any other defender in the top five leagues in Europe, the Brazilian probes the left wing with more conviction than the EFCC.
Oblak
If Atletico Madrid are going to survive tonight, they will need a brilliant game from Jan Oblak. It would be covering a hand with foam and sticking it into the jaw of a lion if Atletico thinks their defense would be enough to stop Real’s attack. Real Madrid have scored in each of their last 57 matches in all competitions and even more astounding is the number of shots goalkeepers face against them. Manuel Neuer made a total of 18 saves in both legs of the quarter final, the highest he has faced in his Bayern career, Ter Stegen made 12 saves in the El Clasico, which was double of what Keylor Navas saved. Jan Oblak rarely makes error in goal and his performance could easily be what will swing this tie.
Written by Joseph Bassey- follow on Twitter @akajoebass
The post Four Players Who Could Decide Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid appeared first on Soccer Nation.
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