Atletico Madrid News
Manchester United 0-1 Atletico Madrid: Player Ratings
Atletico Madrid bested Manchester United at the Old Trafford in classic Diego Simeone fashion. A low block, incredible work rate, one moment of brilliance, and sensational game management – all the trademarks of a Simeone UCL second leg win.
As a collective, it seems impossible to fault Atleti despite a game filled with refereeing controversy. But how did they fare individually? Join Madrid Universal as we run the rule over the visitors.
Jan Oblak: 8.5
Oblak looked back to his best as he made a couple of sensational saves. His positioning was top-notch as he denied Anthony Elanga from close range in the first half, and then made a Spiderman-esque leap to stop Raphael Varane’s header in the second half.
Stefan Savic: 7
Savic had problems dealing with an in-form Jadon Sancho, who was constantly making dribbling around him. His poor marking nearly created a moment of magic for the former Borussia Dortmund winger in the first half.
Jose Gimenez: 7.5
Gimenez knew what he had to do spearheading the defence, and helped close the game to perfection. Did not put a foot wrong the entire night, and comfortably dealt with Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani.
Reinildo Mandava: 7
Mandava, not a centre-back by trait, was beaten by Anthony Elanga and Bruno Fernandes a couple of times on the night, but did well to keep his composure in the dying minutes of the game.
Marcos Llorente: 7.5
Sensational game from Llorente yesterday who not only helped circulate the ball with each touch, but also riled up players by continuous fouls time-wasting.
Rodrigo de Paul: 8
De Paul came incredibly close to scoring the opening goal on the night, only to be denied by David de Gea. After that, though, it was an all-round midfield masterclass from him as he was faultless in possession and gritty off it.
Koke: 8.5
It would be nearly impossible to pick out any flaws from Koke’s performance yesterday. Through the game, his positioning and presence of mind helped Atleti keep the ball. There was no beating Atleti’s captain yesterday as he lost the ball only seven times and won two fouls.
Renan Lodi: 8
Renan Lodi stole the headlines during the first leg with his sensational cross to Joao Felix that helped Atleti open the scoring. Yesternight, he was one of the protagonists again as he got on the end of a cross himself and eventually came home as the winner.
Antoine Griezmann: 9
It was the Antoine Griezmann show yesterday, who seemed back to his best vs United. The Frenchman assisted the only goal of the game, but, more importantly, put in a mammoth defensive shift.
He put in several brilliant tackles and won the ball during moments United were attacking. He dropped as deep as the right-back to defend at times, but was still available to start every single counterattack by Atleti. Man of the match.
Joao Felix: 7
Felix was not nearly as prominent yesterday as the first leg, but his genius thinking set up Griezmann’s assist. He also created one chance and was fouled three times.
SUBSTITUTES:
Geoffrey Kondogbia: N/A
Came on too late to make a proper difference.
Felipe: N/A
Came on at the 90th minute and lost the ball with his only touch of the game.
Angel Correa: N/A
Came on at the 93rd minute, and his only contribution was a clearance.
Atletico Madrid News
Atletico Madrid, Chelsea contact PSG midfielder’s agent with player set to leave
Atletico Madrid and Chelsea are among the clubs that have made contact with the agent of PSG midfielder Leandro Paredes, who is set to leave this summer.
This claim comes from journalist Martin Arevalo on ESPN, who states that apart from Atletico and Chelsea, an unnamed third club have also established contact with the Argentine international’s representative.
Paredes has been on PSG’s books since January 2019, when he arrived from Zenit St. Petersburg. For a large part of his time at the French capital outfit, the midfielder had been a regular starter in the side.
However, last summer saw Paredes get shipped out on loan to Juventus. He has played 33 times for the Bianconeri this season with a return of one goal and assist apiece.
The Serie A heavyweights, who were recently hit with a 10-point deduction, have the option to purchase him permanently. But, as per the report, his relationship with manager Massimiliano Allegri is not good and a return to PSG is on the cards.
And considering that he is not in the plans back at Parc des Princes either, a permanent departure away seems set in stone for Paredes.
As such, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, and an unnamed club have shown interest in acquiring his services by making contact with the 28-year-old World Cup winner’s agent.
With Koke entering the final phase of his career and Geoffrey Kondogbia expected to leave at the end of the season, the Rojiblancos could do with reinforcements in the centre of the park.
Paredes, who has plenty of experience at the highest level and is known for his aggressive mentality, can be a good fit into Diego Simeone’s setup at the Civitas Metropolitano.
But, with Chelsea also in the picture, things could get tricky for the Colchoneros. After all, Atleti are operating on tight finances and are looking for bargain and free transfer signings in the market with the likes of Marcus Thuram, Jordi Alba, and Raphael Guerreiro emerging as targets.
