Concrete-strong Atletico Dent Bayern's Champions League Hopes

It has been set up as a grand clash of philosophies, but only one team has so far put in a grand display of their principles. Diego Simeone said that Atletico Madrid had offered a performance “very close to what we wanted” in their screw-tight 1-0 win over Bayern Munich, while Pep Guardiola admitted his side just weren’t up the pace - they weren’t applying themselves to the level he wanted. 

That was the difference in this first leg, and one crystallised in the moment of the game’s only goal. Atletico broke from their vice-like defending for Saul Niguez to score a brilliantly sweeping strike in that cuttingly swift way the side often do, as a lax Bayern stepped off. 

The Germans stepped up in the second half, but still couldn’t create all that much, and it does indicate that Guardiola himself is going to have to step up his ideas for the second leg, if he is to finally win that first Champions League at Bayern Munich and the third of his career, because, after a tense match, the Catalan also admitted something else. 

“We need to think about who we were playing, the team that Atlético are.” It seemed a confession that he had not quite thought about them enough, that he had not really appreciated that the problem of figuring out how to open up Simeone’s defence might well be the toughest in football right now. 

Guardiola did at least attempt something different to solve them, it must be said. Thomas Muller was surprisingly dropped, as the Bayern coach went for two tricky wingers in Douglas Costa and Kingsley Coman to maximise the minimum space that Atletico allow. Costa did try a total of six dribbles to bring the Bundesliga champions’ total up to 16, 2.5 more than their domestic average. It still didn’t bring any real penetration, though, as Atletico’s defensive core remainded concrete-strong. 

Bayern predictably had over 70% of possession, but still didn’t create all that much. Count the proper threats to the Atletico goal: two crosses that bounced around the box with no-one to finish in the way that Muller might have, a David Alaba thunder-bolt off the bar, an Arturo Vidal effort from distance, a Javi Martinez header from a set-piece and a Costa lob. 

The Brazilian’s chance - one that he should have just turned on to with his right - was the only real time that Bayern actually got behind Atletico. That is especially impressive from Simeone’s side given that Diego Godin was out injured, but they still remained so resolute. Atletico actually put in a total of 39 tackles - 14.5 more than their league average. 

Bayern were not at their best, but a lot of that was also because they were not allowed to be. As has become one of the most admirable traits of Atletico, they are on top of a player and winning the ball before he barely has a chance to think about receiving it. Gabi and Filipe Luis led the way there tonight, offering eight challenges each. From there, they also looked more cutting than Bayern, as a revitalised Fernando Torres and upcoming Antoine Griezmann countered so thrillingly. 

One thing that is worth bearing in mind is that is often the pattern in these grand clashes of styles, between a side that keeps the ball and the other who keep back. Because so much of the play is constrained in one ever-decreasing area of the pitch, there just more space for the defending team to break into, allowing their pacy players to just look so much more exciting - in contrast to opposition who by definition must be much more exact. 

It is a situation that has been played out repeatedly in Europe, but still not quite like this, still not quite to the level Atletico play. Simeone has given attacking sides a new problem to solve, and perhaps the most difficult in football right now. Guardiola is going to have to figure out how, and think much more deeply than he did before the first leg. His third Champions League, and Bayern legacy, depends on it.

Can Atletico Madrid hold out to secure a place in this season's Champions League final? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below