Wrote:
Omar Qurah
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Friday 10 January 2020
12:02 PM
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It took Atletico Madrid just five minutes, specifically between the 81st and 86th minutes, to turn the table against Barcelona and advance again in the result to come out a winner (3-2) in the Super Cup semi-final at King Abdullah Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday.
Atleti struck a scheduled date in the final match next Sunday with its neighbor, Real Madrid, who qualified for the final with a comfortable victory over Valencia last Wednesday with a result of (3-1) in the semi-finals of the tournament that is held for the first time with the participation of four teams.
Barcelona, led by Argentine star Lionel Messi, was superior over the course of 80 minutes and succeeded in capturing the ball for most of the match, but childish mistakes in the last minutes cost him shaking his net twice and sudden exclusion from the competition.
Barcelona’s fall against Atletico came to confirm the defensive fragility of Ernesto Valverde’s team during the current season (2019-2020), especially that he received 5 goals in the first two games of 2020, by two goals against Espanyol and three in the semi-finals.
Statistics indicate that Atletico Madrid, led by Argentine coach Diego Simeone, who did not rest outside the lines, did not reach the Brazilian keeper Nito, who had played the match only 6 times, all of which threatened the goal, and resulted in 3 goals.
Atletico are not the first team to score 3 goals this season against Barcelona, as Levante did it in the Spanish League when they won (3-1), which indicates that the back line of the Catalan team despite the return of Samuel Umtiti is still of concern.
The Barcelona crisis in La Liga is very prominent, as Barca received 23 goals in the first round of the competition, which is the worst defense for Barcelona in 15 years, specifically since the first season under the leadership of Frank Rijkaard (2003-2004) when he received 25 goals.
Barcelona had Valverde rocked his net with 20 goals in the first round of the local competition last season, which is the third worst record for the team in the last fifteen seasons, and this comes in contrast to the coach’s first season, as he received only 9 goals.
“I think we have taken a step forward against Atletico, we have a lot to develop, but we are in the first place in the league, now is the time to improve our level,” Messi said after the match, stressing the need for the team to unite to pass the current situation.
It is noteworthy that Barcelona, who leads La Liga, with a difference of goals over Real Madrid, will have more days to prepare strongly for the next match in La Liga, during which it will host the Granada team at the Camp Nou on January 19.
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