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In the end, it all came down to Chelsea’s ambition. While Atlético de Madrid was held back by Diego Simeone’s negativity, Thomas Tuchel told his team to play. Released, Chelsea stood up to be counted. They let their football speak rather than rise to the provocation of Luis Suárez, and they earned their reward when Olivier Giroud gave them a slight lead to lead back to Stamford Bridge with a special goal.
Tuchel was able to hold a perfect away show in Bucharest, where the tie was played due to Covid-19 restrictions. Chelsea, who have a wonderful opportunity to pass the round of 16 for the first time since 2016, were much more progressive than Atlético. It was a complete performance and the only disappointment is that Jorginho and the standout Mason Mount will be suspended for the return leg on March 17th.
It soon became clear that Chelsea needed to have her wits about them. Tuchel knew what to expect from Atlético, speaking of his struggles and pre-match experience, and was quick to walk off to the edge of his technical area to urge his players to calm down. The first warning sign came in the opening minute, Mount earned a yellow card for cutting João Felix when the forward threatened to charge through a wide open space in midfield, while there was a skittish air to Chelsea’s rear. , typified by Édouard Mendy He almost gave Saúl Ñiguez a calamitous goal when he hesitated with a back pass.
The Chelsea goalkeeper almost escaped and sighed in relief as the ball rolled away from Saul, but the mistakes kept coming. Tuchel made a concerned gesture on the touchline. Chelsea were left without Thiago Silva in central defense, which deprived them of vital nous and quality, and there was another opportunity for Atlético when Antonio Rüdiger and Marcos Alonso left a ball that bounced in the back of the right, which allowed Suarez to steal possession before center Thomas Lemar to open the far post.
It was a reminder that Chelsea couldn’t afford to relax with Suarez around. However, as the opening period progressed, the visitors began to control the game. Callum Hudson-Odoi, who had a chance to redeem himself after being intermittently substituted against Southampton last weekend, was eager to impress. The 20-year-old was diligent with his defensive duties on the right back, fell back to deal with Lemar, and was brilliant on the ball, pressing high and worrying Atlético by combining with Mount.
Although there was another scare just before the break, Ángel Correa and Suárez threatening at the break, Chelsea were better. Atlético fell into containment mode, defending at times with six defenders. The problem for Chelsea, who finished the first half with 71% possession, was finding a way to beat one of the most tight-fisted teams in Europe. They spent a lot of time playing against Atlético, passing the ball from side to side as they searched for an opening, and the only moment of the incision came when Timo Werner dived down the left, spinning brilliantly before testing Jan Oblak at his near post .
Once again, Tuchel found himself wanting more precision in the final third. Time and time again, Chelsea found themselves running down dead ends as Atlético compressed space. There always seemed to be a red and white shirt on the way. Atlético, so difficult to break despite the absence of José María Giménez, did not worry about entertainment. They were prepared to sit back and wait for opportunities at halftime, with their approach summed up by Simeone earning a booking for complaining too much midway through the second half.
It was Felix who carried the threat in the second half for Atlético, flipping acrobatically before injecting some urgency with a surge down the left. Jorginho dropped the youngster, earning a caution, and will sit out of the second leg.
However, Felix had few opportunities to show off his dazzling skills. Atlético continued to repress, defending the area and frustrating Chelsea, who needed to pick up the pace. Giroud, who was preferred by Tammy Abraham up front, was struggling to escape his markers and Werner was displaced when Mount released him early in the second half.
Chelsea had nothing to fear, however, and Mount refused to stop investigating. In the 67th minute, a cross from the left entered the Atlético area. As the ball soared into the air, Mount challenged Mario Hermoso, who inadvertently deflected it to Giroud, who produced a moment of genius, using his left foot to beat Oblak with an impressive kick from above.
Despite the offside flag being raised against Giroud, a lengthy VAR review confirmed that the finishing touch came from Hermoso. Chelsea was rewarded for her patience. Atlético was punished for their lack of ambition.
