I’m not super picky, as my post writing skills haven’t set the bar high at all, but I do expect the following: 1) Your spelling and grammar is good (don’t spell it as “Athletico” for example, and capitalize your sentences for gods sake), 2) You actually like Atlético (no need to be a full out supporter, but don’t just agree to help for the sake of wanting to write, especially no closet Real Madrid fans, F you guys), 3) You would dedicate some time to keeping the quality intact (I’m not asking for hours per day, since that’s madness, but it’s more like if you write a post, don’t just publish it if you feel like you could do better). 4) You read The Offside’s Writing Guidelines and abide to them (no biggie really).

So that being said, contact me at bread_eggs@yahoo.com if you’re interested. It’s fun and rewarding, and I’ll help you get up and running, so don’t be afraid to reply even if you have any doubts. The help would be lovely, but otherwise, things will continue like normal.

In other news, Quique Sanchez has the swine flu (H1N1) and will probably miss this weekend’s match against Depor. Jeez, it feels like I’m writing an injury report, except it’s about the manager. The “curer” of Atletico has been diseased…

Forlan on playing well: “In order to play well you must work on your speed and power, and in order to do that you need to be toned from the best training. A good abdomen is the basis of all good movement, as it’s essential to sprint, move your waist and pick yourself up from the ground”

Forlan on his abs: “I confess that my genetics are important, honestly more than any workout secret, and with very little work you can see them”.

So in order to get as good as Forlan, you need to get abs. And in order to get those abs, you need to either a) work your ass off at the gym or, b) be Diego Forlan and not do have to do jack shit. Once you do either, you’ll score 35 yard screamers in no time.

Maybe a “for the ladies” disclaimer would have been appropriate, but screw it:

This match doesn’t represent any turning point, but it seemed more like a fun scrimmage and a chance for the team to warm up for the weekend match at Depor. Onto the next round we go, and must hope that we don’t run into Barca like we did last year. This cup could be the season’s saving grace.

7 points from 10 matches played.

Catastrophic? Indeed. The team is doing so bad, that the inconsistent and unpredictable Atletico of last year is dearly missed. You could have at least expected some wins from last years version, despite them being able to lose to the likes of Osasuna and Valladolid at home. This year’s version however, is so bad that the diehard fans had no choice but to take their protesting right outside the training grounds. They are also wondering if or why Atletico’s best players would even bother sticking with the team after all of this.

It all seemed lovely when Atletico finally qualified for the Champions League last season. Win after win, Forlan netting goals like nothing, and a team spirit to feel proud made people believe that Atleti definitely had what it takes to consider themselves a Champions League team. For a team that hasn’t won anything in over a decade, it was almost dreamlike to watch Atletico become one of the best sides in Spain even after Barca had steamrolled over every team already. As I like to say often, “a true joy to watch”.

This season, those few flaws that we noticed all of last season are exactly what is bringing the team down. Everything from the crap defense, to the average performance of the midfield, and the bad luck of the attack.

On the Madrid derby…

All I’ll say is that you could definitely see a true difference in the quality of both sides. I say this more in a “passionate side against a not-as-passionate side” way, never will I agree that Real Madrid is a great club. Each one of Real’s goals was sublime, and each showed a flaw in our very own squad. Kaka’s first was scored after the ball was completely stolen from one of our players, and I’m talking about “F off this ball is mine” stolen. The second goal, Marcelo’s cracker, showed how crap our central defense is as Pablo (one of our best defenders, which is nothing to be proud of really) was outrun by Marcelo who later smashed the ball in from an improbably angle, when it could have been blocked. The third goal, if you saw it, was pretty much Higuain running a circle around Perea and slotting the ball in, reminiscent of those days when you play FIFA on easy to relieve stress and score 20 against MK Dons playing as Brazil. It looked that easy for him.

The team should have still be applauded for their hard work in the second half, as Atleti woke up when Sergio Ramos was sent off (did that even have to happen for Atleti to start trying?) and was able to slot in two goals. A comeback was in progress, reminiscent of last year’s most memorable matches, and after a frustrating dying minutes of the match where Aguero could have equalized and cemented another classic match, we lost again and the decade of no wins was complete. All this could have prevented, hate to say, with a better defense. So obvious but very true. None of those goals in the first half should have gone in.

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I was actually laughing at Villarreal at the beginning of the season, as they were the other team that was doing worse than us and couldn’t even get one victory. This was around the time when Atletico defeated Zaragoza and seemed to have turned the corner. And now, watching them win all over again (especially that creaming of Lazio last week) is something that I’m actually envious of. I’m envious of the team with 9 points in the league. This crisis is no laughing matter, it’s been officially official for a few weeks already and it’s so bad that Quique Flores’ positive changes in the squad still haven’t been enough.

Speaking of Quique, it’s very unfortunate that his record so far is one draw and two losses in the past 3 matches (I’m not counting the match against Marbella). I hate to keep on bringing up the Chelsea match, but in that match you definitely saw what he brought to the team that Resino couldn’t. What I’m referring to was an increase in confidence in very important players (especially Reyes) and a system that was actually working. You have to give the man credit with what he’s working with here: a very small squad that can’t even field eleven players that are all each very good at what they do. Aka a shite defense and substitutes that are nowhere as effective as the starters. Quique is no messiah, but as long as his contribution has been positive, I’ll believe in him.

Now, the analysis begins:

Goalkeeper: Sergio Asenjo was a wise signing during the summer, as he was fairly inexpensive and was a very promising keeper that was an option for the long-run. However, I don’t feel very convinced in his qualities. I saw it when Frank Lampard shot that free kick during the match at Stamford Bridge, and Asenjo blocked the shot but still pushed it in and fell to the ground in pain. Keepers aren’t usually at fault if the defense is bad, but I don’t know, Leo Franco and even Gregory Coupet actually made me feel safe when they were in between the posts. Asenjo has been saved often this season by his best friend, the crossbars, and I actually preferred 18-year-old De Gea’s terrific performances. He played as if it were dream-like to make the first team (which it was, he’s from the youth team). Asenjo is good, but not the “next Casillas” that we expected to have. Nor is he Leo Franco.

Defense: Ugly. U-G-L-Y you aint’ got no alibi. Everything from the poor clearances, to the terrible pacing, to the abysmal aerial defense, is so hurtful to the team that it could possibly be considered the thing that is holding us back this season. So far into the league season, we are the team that has conceded the most goals at 22. I swear, you could probably get the Atletico B team defenders to replace ours and they’ll be just as talented or even better. Our defense is quite experienced at an average age of 29, but are probably playing at half of their potential at the moment. Luis Perea two years ago wouldn’t have been outrun by Gonzalo Higuain, and the Pablo Ibanez that was at World Cup 2006 would have blocked Marcelo’s bullet into the goal. As it stands, Quique will have to do with these players until the winter transfer window ( in which he BETTER sign some new players, or magically make these guys good by then) but for now there’s nothing that can be done except hope that they turn a new leaf.

Midfield: Not too bad. Paulo Assuncao could be a little less clumsy by getting less yellow cards (that’s probably like 6 or 7 this season so far) and Cleber Santana has definitely been trying. Simao isn’t having too great of a season, considering that he’s one of those players that would the difference in the match, and a former member of our fantastic 4. The right wing is kind of a mixed bag. Maxi has been doing good, and thanks to him we drew against Valencia. Reyes, however, is very skilled but not until recently has he begun to catch rhythm. Quique definitely confides in him and we’ll be seeing more of Reyes. Raul Garcia is a solid center midfielder as well, and he’s beginning to get more appearances after his injury. One player that I want to see more of is Nacho Camacho. So much potential and he’s finally available after his hip surgery. Some team somewhere is going to snatch him up if he doesn’t get playing time here, and he’ll become a superstar.

Attack: I can’t really complain here. Diego Forlan and Sergio Aguero are beasts, as you all may already know, but what’s bugging me is Florent Sinama-Pongolle. Last season, he was the most solid of substitutes and had a terrific header that scored many important goals for us. This season, he’s definitely getting the minutes (largely in part to Aguero’s inability to play the full 90) but I’m guessing that Resino putting him in the right midfield did him no good in terms of being a solid striker once again. Jose Jurado is quite good, but as you saw in the Madrid derby, he has nothing on the likes of Aguero, despite them playing in the same position during that match. Simply put, we have two world-class strikers and substitutes that can’t even touch them in terms of quality. Even if Forlan and Aguero are world class, they still couldn’t score against 9 man Mallorca, so maybe in the present they are in better form but they still suffer from too many crossbars and wasted chances. However, Aguero has scored very excellent goals this season so far, and I’m actually expecting big things from him soon. Last year was the year of the Forlan, this year is the year of the Aguero.

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Many of you may be saying “you forgot to talk about the director’s board”. Yes, they are shite to the point where it’ll be legendary how badly the club is run. They have gone through many coaches, and have made stupid sales/signings, but I don’t even have time to talk about how bad they are. Maybe in a later post, but what’s important to me is the performance of the team, not the idiots behind the club.

If Atletico keep on losing, I won’t even bother reviewing matches any more. I wouldn’t even say anything that people don’t already know (”man our defense sucks” “typical Atletico!”) so why even bother. However, as blogger for my favorite club, I’m kinda obliged to lead you all through this catastrophe and when I need to, I shall. Those Atletico followers reading this, all I have to say is to stick behind the team and not start following someone else only because of the bad results. If you “feel” Atletico, then you are, so when better times come and you aren’t there, you’ll regret having left. I won’t leave.

It’s one of those bottom vs. top fixtures (we’re in 17th, they’re in 2nd) but we’re still expecting the upset, despite a ten year hex in the way. Derbies are always special and when you play matches like these, you forget about everything else, such as table position and the fact that you’re eliminated from the Champions League (grrr). Just sit back, grab a cold one, and enjoy. And yell loudly at the television set.

Atletico, recently living up to their cruel “El Pupas” monicker, have supposedly found their ground in the match against Chelsea. They played like they hadn’t played this season before, with a defense that was effective for 82 minutes and a Kun Aguero performance to remember. Did I mention that he was injured also? Sure, it was a Champions League match and some teams perform above and beyond, but you definitely know that Quique is expecting no less tomorrow. For both the ascension up the table, and for the win against the eternal rival.

The last time Atletico defeated Real was in the 1999/2000 season. In other words, way too long. If they don’t win tomorrow, that’s an entire damn decade of not winning a derby. There were some draw matches in between, and there were still many excellent matches despite them ending 1-1, but not one victory. However, we must forget about the numbers and move on from there.

I’m a huge believe that the location of matches are important, but unfortunately, Atletico hasn’t benefited much when playing this derby at home. Let me remind you what happened the last two times the derby took place at the Calderon. First minute goals. Two years ago, it was Raul and last year it was Van Nistelrooy. I can’t explain why this happened, maybe it was a Javier Aguirre thing, but it’s very obvious: overconfidence. Hell, I believe that fat Ronaldo pulled this first-minute goal thing about 4 years ago. Goddammit.

It may be a psychological factor as to why Atletico struggles to win these matches. Like I mentioned before, I’m excited for this match despite knowing that Real has the superior record. I’m not alone; the team gets excited too, and goes full out during these matches, which can be bad if you’re not careful. Last season during the first derby, Simao equalized near the end of the match and next thing you know, Heitinga fouled Drenthe in the box and Higuain slotted in the penalty. Game over. Overexcitement and hastiness being the downfall once again.

That’s why Atletico did so well in the derby at the Bernabeu last season. Abel Resino and the squad knew that if they were the team with all the bite, they would stand a chance at winning the match. And what a match that was. The ball hit crossbar after crossbar, then a solid Diego Forlan goal, all to be cancelled out by a Huntelaar equalizer and a 1-1 result that should have been much more for us. It wasn’t a win, but still a match to remember. For most of the match, we scared them, and that’s what we needed to do in order to stand a chance at winning.

Asenjo: This sucks man. Why do we have to pose?
Iker: Kid, do you know what sex is?
Asenjo: Umm what the hell, Iker?
Iker: Huhuh sorry kid I’m a little tipsy
Both: Huhuhuhuh

This time around, things are definitely more different. This new edition of Real Madrid, who in correlation to how much they spent this summer on players, are technically “failing” for not being the biggest and baddest football team in the world right now. They lost to that 3rd division team, lost to AC Milan at home, but are still a dangerous team nonetheless. Thank goodness they don’t have Cristiano Ronaldo available, because Kaka is scary enough. And many of Atletico’s old derby bogeymen (Raul, Higuain, Nistelrooy) will probably make an appearance. On paper, we’re facing an even better squad than last year, and plenty of experience on their squad as well. Guti Maricón didn’t make the squad, but I doubt that’ll make a difference anyway.

And how would you compare the new Real Madrid to the new Atletico? No comparison, Real is miles ahead in many departments except the attack. This current Atletico is a bit hurt from the bad outcome of the season so far, but they are working hard on improving from there. That’s Quique’s priority right now, not only to improve results, but to work with what the team has and find a method of working that will help us get back to normal ways. His formula against Chelsea worked, and it may work again tomorrow. Don’t let the standings and the numbers fool you. We still have a chance at winning.

The lineup:

This is the 99% official lineup that will play tomorrow:

Asenjo
Perea, Pablo, Ujfalusi, A. Lopez
Reyes, Cleber, R. Garcia, Simao
Aguero, Forlan

Not too many changes from the Chelsea match, with Ujfalusi and R. Garcia in the lineup. Juanito is injured and Assuncao is suspended from yellow card accumulation. Reyes’ performance on Tuesday seems to have been good enough to earn him a start against his former club. Aguero still has a bit of a groin problem, but he’s fit enough to start anyway (he scored the brace against Chelsea with the same exact problem!). Asenjo is once again the starting keeper, and the rest of the lineup is familiar to us all.

So the only thing I ask of the squad is not to fight against the ten year hex, but to just go out there and win the match.

AUPA ATLETI!

Don’t F around with that babelfish translation shit, I translated it just for you. Warning: it’s quite long.

How do you see the dressing room after the elimination from the Champions League?

It hasn’t been too difficult because we knew that we had to win every single match in order to have a possibility to get into the next round. What we looked for against Chelsea was to find what Quique wanted, which was an adequate system for our team’s abilities. We had the match under control after Kun’s 1-0, but what we wanted was to find the rhythm to help the team function again.

What did Quique say after the match against Chelsea?

He didn’t say anything in particular. He shook our hands and talked about punctual things during the match. But nothing in particular. What’s true is that you really can’t say much right after matches.

Porto and Chelsea are both big clubs. But doesn’t it hurt to be out of the Champions League when there’s still two matches left to be played?

What’s difficult is not being eliminated, but to be so low in the group and to be in relegation zone. That’s what is difficult. In these first few months, we didn’t play well in the League nor in the Champions League. And now what we have left is to qualify for the Europe League.

Last year, the team didn’t lose once in Europe after 8 matches. In this one, you haven’t won out of the four. What happened to you guys in this competition?

It’s not only the CL. It’s general because we have only won one match in all competitions. The match against Chelsea was positive because we did well and we made chances. We controlled the match, something which is very positive. Just like they had chances as well. This is fundamental in order to keep on working toward what Quique wants.

Now it’s your turn to battle against APOEL for third place. Isn’t this an objective that wouldn’t be too ambitious for a squad like Atlético? Are you motivated?

The Europa League is still motivation for us. It’s true that the Champions League is an important tournament, but we’re not in contention any more and we must look ahead. And there’s nothing else but the Europa League.

And in that path, you run into Real Madrid. Do you think that a victory over your biggest rival will help you forget the disaster of being eliminated from the CL?

We were all aware of the situation. What we need to do is fight so that the team goes back to what it once was. We’re the same players and we need to gel as soon as possible.

Will Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence have an effect?

He is, without a doubt, one of the best players in the world. Real Madrid has played some matches without him, but they still have a squad with great players. They’re one point from Barcelona and that says it all. Cristiano is a great player, but whoever takes his place will do just as well.

You and Higuain arrived to Europe very young, to big clubs and you had to work hard to make your place. What do you think about the Argentine striker?

El Pipita is a great player. He’s growing more and more and his progression as a player hasn’t stalled.

Pellegrini was your manager at Villarreal. Do you still keep in touch with him? Have you talked about the crisis in Madrid?

No, I don’t keep in touch with Pellegrini.

What do you think about the new Real Madrid? Do you find the criticism a little exaggerated for a team that’s second in the league?

The criticism is understandable. The players at Real Madrid are very experienced and know that at big clubs, there are many comments and critics. But the league is long. They’re a point from the lead and despite that, there is always a but.

What do you think about the debate over Raul starting, the other number 7 of the derby?

He has been at Madrid for a long time and has scored an infinity of goals. He has sacrificed much. There aren’t words to define Raul. His career is untouchable. He’s a great player that doesn’t play in the position that he’s best in, inside the box.

Which one of Real’s weak points will you try to take advantage of this Saturday?

We have to try hard during these matches. We must give our all, despite them having a great team. The example that we’ll be following is the match against Chelsea. We played them well and we ended up achieving a draw.

What does a player at a big club think when he sees his team in the relegation zone?

It feels bad to see us in such an uncomfortable situation. But it was worse before, because in addition to being so low we weren’t doing well in the football aspect. In the last matches, we demonstrated that we’re more confident, worked harder, and were more united. We’re in relegation zone, but it’s still a long path. We’re sure that we’ll keep on working to improve and to achieve results fast.

Has the club’s institutional crisis affected the team?

We really don’t care. We need to isolate ourselves from that environment and from the problems. Our job is to work on the pitch for what Quique wants and asks of us. We have to work together more by the day.

Does the team really have enough time and quality to re-enter the CL like Quique said during his presentation? Which teams will be your greatest rivals?

It’s complicated. There are many teams that are just as strong and it’s hard just to say names. We need to work hard and collect points to climb back up.

How far ahead is Real Madrid and Barcelona from the rest of the teams?

We are very behind. In recent fixtures, some teams have equaled them talent wise. But Barcelona, in a football aspect, is a step ahead of the rest of the teams. In Spain and in the world.

Has there been contact with Real Madrid and Barcelona’s people in the past summer?

I don’t know if anything was certain. I knew there were rumors and I don’t know if they were true or not. I’m not interested.

Do you regret continuing at Atlético? Do you think you will finish your career here?

I haven’t signed the renewal yet. We’re almost there. I’m very happy and don’t regret continuing here, but it’s too soon to know if I’ll finish my career here.

Next week is the World Cup playoff against Costa Rica. What does this playoff mean to you and to a country like Uruguay?

The playoff is very important, and vital. What’s more important is to qualify because it’s important to the entire country. We need to win and go to South Africa.

At Uruguay you share the attacking roles with Luis Suarez, a forward that has been mentioned as a possible signing for your club. Do you think that he’ll join you in playing under the same Atlético badge?

I have a good relationship with Luis because we play together on the national team. If he signs here, he’ll be welcomed

Not too long ago you received your second Golden boot. Nobody has won this prize three times in Europe. Do you wish to win it a third time?

A third Golden boot would be incredible. But it’s nothing easy because like you said, nobody has done it yet. I’m already happy having won two. The first was nice. The second, incredible.

What has Quique brought within his first week? Do you notice his work?

Quique has worked a lot tactic wise, also in organizing the team in many aspects. There isn’t much time between matches and we need to assimilate quickly to what we’re learning.

Was sacking Abel the solution to the problems, or the obvious action for the club in a moment of crisis?

Unfortunately, in football you run into this circumstances and when a team isn’t well, the first thing to do is to sack the manager.

Do you want to send a message to the supporters?

To the supporters, I say that we aren’t well, but to have patience with us. We want to win and bring many joys to the people.

We’re dumped out of the Champions League, but at the same time, have plenty to look forward to, and a performance to applaud. The team that played today was one that was absent all season and played with all their might. Chelsea was Chelsea, and Drogba was a beast as usual, but our response to them was Kun Aguero, who had one of his best matches in a long time. He only even played for 35 minutes!

It was a draw, but it was still good.

Atletico Madrid 2 – Chelsea 2:

1-0 65′ Aguero
1-1 82′ Drogba
1-2 88′ Drogba
2-2 90′ Aguero

The match

For the neutral, the first half was boring because of the lack of goals, but from the Atletico Madrid fan’s perspective, it was a breath of fresh air to see the team have superior possession and go toe-to-toe with Chelsea. With those 82 minutes of not conceding a goal, the defense was having one of its best matches ever. Good possession and solid tackles (especially Pablo) was something that the team hadn’t remembered how to do. Antonio Lopez made up for his shabby performances in the past, and he was one to thank for the first goal, because of his deflected shot. It truly was a shame to concede those two goals late into the match.

In the midfield, Assuncao was the same klutz as usual getting yellowed but still did well in his d-mid role. Cleber also did well moving the ball up and helping the attack. Reyes had a solid match as well and he had a terrific curling shot in the first half that looked like it was going in. Simao was the same player as usual, doing his part with crosses and helping the attack. Shame that Forlan didn’t have better luck scoring, and Sinama was getting owned all the time by the defense. It wasn’t until Kun Aguero came in that the attack finally found some flavor.

Drogba’s brace really was unfortunate. It was a shame that Drogba was able to jump a foot higher than any of our defenders, and Asenjo was unlucky to rebound the ball in front of Drogba to give him an easy tap-in. It felt like all the work during the entire match was all for nothing when Chelsea was a goal up.

Then Aguero scored the free kick. Completely unexpected but fitting, because we didn’t deserve to lose. Atleti played like a real team for most of the match, and we can say goodbye to the Champions League with dignity.

In many ways, we “won”. We won Pablo and Reyes’ confidence back from their good showing today. We also won the old Kun Aguero back, and a sense of team unity that is leaps and bounds better than the earlier parts of the season. From this point on, it feels like things will get better.

What now?

Europa League, that’s what. It is a more deserving place for the team at the moment, and is a trophy that will be possible to win. Just imagine Atletico using this match as the needed turning point. With a performance like today’s (minus conceding two) I am convinced that the team can go far into the Europa. All that’s needed is to secure a win or two, the next matchday hosting Porto and the following one away to APOEL. So at the moment, it’s Atletico vs APOEL contending for third place.

I’m not going to lie, I’m not too disappointed with third place. Could I honestly say that Atletico would go really far into the Champions League after what we’ve seen this season? It’s time for a more realistic trophy, one that we let slip away two years ago and one that we are more than capable now than ever to win.

The boys are making the effort and for that, we must appreciate it.

The mighty Chelsea is in town and despite the 4-0 thrashing that they gave us two weeks ago, our confidence is through the roof, according to Quique. What is there to be afraid of, to be honest? The fact is, they are group leaders and 2nd in the Premier League and we’re relegation fodder in La Liga and at the bottom of our group.

So I’ll be honest, man. There’s plenty to be scared of.

I mentioned in the last preview of how afraid I was of these two teams meeting up, and now it’s even worse because the same fear is there, with a 4-0 loss to them being the cherry on top of the fear sundae (forgive my bad metaphor, it’s late). The last time that these teams faced off, Chelsea was the only team on the pitch well-trained and organized, in other words, the only team with a chance of winning. Atletico, as you may all know, is capable of winning any match, but their erratic form and paper-thin defense is what holds us back from being one of the top clubs in Europe. It’s almost embarrassing. This season has been terrible so far, and our only win was somewhat lucky, against an inferior side that was inches away from equalizing anyway.

I’ve mentioned that it has been hard to see Atleti struggle like they have so far into the season, and facing Chelsea then Real Madrid next weekend isn’t helping. We were in a similar situation last season, after losing 6-1 to Barcelona then those “fixtures from hell” against Sevilla, Real Madrid, and Villarreal. After those, things picked up and we had an undefeated streak for about two months. In this case, we can’t afford to have things pick up after these two fixtures from hell. This is our participation in European competition on the line, and an important derby to win against our cousins the following weekend. The winning must begin tomorrow.

So far, I’m happy with what Quique has been doing with the team. It’s almost a breath of fresh air to see another hungry manager in charge, and even Kun Aguero is pleased with his “distinct methods of training”. Quique will demand the best from the team, and I’m confident that the squad will come out of its losing streak under him. The Copa del Rey victory was an easy match that helped the team realize its stupid mistakes, and the fighting spirit in the loss to Bilbao was the beginning to what would be an improvement over the early part of the season.

Chelsea will be Chelsea, and will still put on a solid performance like usual. However, they are obviously not invincible (*cough* lost to Wigan) and the only way that we can defeat them is if we go above and beyond what we have done so far into this season. Do you honestly think that there has been any performance this season that we should look back on and think that we should repeat it today?

I think that the answer is “no”, except the first CL qualifications against Panathinaikos. I just watched the highlight video of it and I felt ashamed when I realized that the video was the only good performance since last season. What I saw was a team that wanted to enter the Champions League, and put on a killer performance on the way there. It was reminiscent of last year’s Champions League performances. That’s what I want to see tomorrow.

The difference in quality is astounding, but the same trite statement holds true: “anything can happen in football”. We do indeed have a great squad, and we’re at home to boot. We can give any top team in Europe a match to remember so I don’t see how it’ll be any different tomorrow. The only thing to worry about is the paper-thin defense, but otherwise, we have the tools to go ahead and get our first win of the group. There’s no purpose to think about where Atletico will end up after the group stages are over, because the only thing that’s important is thinking about winning tomorrow. The team needs faith, and we will give it to them.

When you think about it, a victory over Chelsea would be considered an “upset”. That’s just a sign of how deep of a hole Atletico has dug itself into.

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PORTEROS
1 Asenjo.
43 De Gea.

DEFENSAS
2 Valera.
3 Antonio López.
16 Juanito.
17 Ujfalusi.
18 Álvaro Domínguez.
21 Perea.
22 Pablo Ibáñez.

CENTROCAMPISTAS
8 Raúl García.
9 Jurado.
11 Maxi Rodríguez.
12 Paulo Assunção.
19 Reyes.
20 Simão.
23 Cléber Santana.

DELANTEROS
7 Forlán.
10 Kun Agüero.
14 Sinama-Pongolle.

Once again, there is no purpose in a review. Pretty much, it was an unfortunate first result for Quique Sanchez and the team suffered once again from bad set piece defense, despite playing a good second half and hitting the crossbar on three separate occasions. It’s such a letdown considering that we’re hosting Chelsea in the midweek, then Real Madrid the following weekend. Quique may be thinking about what he got himself into, but the team will eventually get up and running and this is a bad string of fixtures to help that spark ignite. Most of you are familiar with how Atleti has been doing so far into the season, and this match is no different, so here’s the video and I’ll leave it at that. Better posts are definitely on their way.

The idiot commentator is the highlight of the video.