In the first leg against Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League round of 16, Atlético Madrid put five past the struggling north London side and appear ticketed for the Champions League quarterfinals.
The opening half saw Diego Simeone’s men dominate to the tune of 71 percent possession, and they scored four goals in the first 22 minutes. Julián Alvarez added one more with a blistering second-half counter attack, and Atlético have to do a professional job next week
to seal progression to the last eight.
Here’s how each player performed in tonight’s Champions League win:
Player Ratings
Oblak
Conceded from a low shot across goal from the Spaniard Pedro Porro in the 26th minute, and again to Dominic Solanke 50 minutes later, marking the 11th Champions League match in a row that Atleti have been unable to keep a clean sheet. Though the keeper made an important save against Richarlison early in the second half, his distribution of the ball was costly throughout the night. 4.5
Ruggeri
The defender was able to get involved out wide with overlapping runs and left-footed curlers into the box. The Italian’s second half clearance was important in kick-starting Alvarez’s goal-scoring counter attack, but he was beaten to the ball by Pedro Porro in the box in the first half, gifting him enough space in the box to pry a goal back for the opposition. 4.5
Hancko
Kept things as tidy as he could and worked to sweep up Tottenham attacks with five clearances. Hancko’s efforts relieved pressure in the box, and he won seven ground duels as well. 5.5
Le Normand
Simeone’s decision to start Le Normand in the defense paid off dividends as he was able to snag a goal for himself in the first half. After Antoine Griezmann’s swooping free kick forced a save from Guglielmo Vicario, Le Normand was able to get his head on the ball and put it just over the line to make it 4-0 on 22 minutes. A few minutes later, Richarlison swept him aside to create Spurs’ first goal, but the Spain international had a good night nonetheless. 6
Pubill
With four recoveries and 10 successful ground/aerial duels, Pubill had a solid performance on the righthand side. Tucking in as an additional center-back to allow Marcos Llorente the chance to run, Pubill’s defensive contributions stopped Mathys Tel and company from causing much harm down his flank. 7
Lookman
Got onto the end of Antonín Kinský’s slip and passed the ball to Alvarez, helping to set up the team’s first goal on five minutes. But Lookman otherwise was tame in the final third. He wasn’t able to break away in one-on-one situations, and Simeone will want more defensive involvement from him. 4.5
Cardoso
In a high-scoring match such as this, it can be easy to overlook the work that Cardoso completed in the middle of the pitch. The American dutifully disrupted Tottenham’s buildup play throughout the match, winning back possession with timely tackles and physical interventions. With players like Llorente able to take hold of some of the more creative distribution, it gave more freedom for Cardoso to do the dirty work that he does best. 7
Llorente
Llorente was able to take advantage of Kinský’s early mishap by darting into the box, getting on the end of an Alvarez pass, and opening the floodgates with a calm side-footed finish. For the second goal, Llorente’s pestering pressure forced Pape Sarr to push the ball backwards, and Mickey van De Den failed to control it as Griezmann grabbed his goal on 13 minutes. 7
Giuliano Simeone
Tracked back whenever he could and passed the ball simply. He won seven duels and always seemed to get a foot in defensively, though his attacking contribution was muted. 5.5
Griezmann
Scored Atleti’s second goal after stealing a pass back from Sarr and pushing past a slipping van de Ven. The forward, who turns 35 this month, looked as clinical as ever with his finish past Kinský. In the second half, Griezmann’s touch of magic moved the ball to Alvarez and continued the counterattack that produced the fifth goal on 54 minutes. 8.5
Alvarez
Assisted Llorente in the first minutes of the match, finding the open Spaniard and letting him finish the play. Brought the lead to three just minutes later after another Kinský mistake, walking the ball into the back of the net after the goalkeeper slipped. Continued to shine in the second half, plowing through the middle of the pitch and holding off two defenders to beat Vicario for 5-1. 8.5
Subs:
Barrios
Making his first appearance since his injury a little over a month ago, Barrios kept his distribution simple and effective. It’s good to see the academy product back into the squad. 5
Sørloth
Replaced Llorente in the second half. Didn’t have any chances to score with the team already up quite handily. 3
Nico González
Had limited time on the ball after replacing Alvarez in the 72nd minute His miscommunication with Oblak led to the Slovenian’s giveaway for Spurs’ second goal. 4
Koke
Brought a needed cool head in the final minutes of the match. The veteran’s presence was enough to prevent anymore leaks. 5.5
