The cruel curse on Atletico Madrid

Real Madrid have passed the Champions League round of 16 in the "destiny" way as in many years. That is how people talk about the Spanish Royal team when they cannot explain why they always overcome difficult situations in an unbelievable way.

Among Real Madrid's "victims" in the Champions League, Atletico Madrid are perhaps the victims of the cruelest curse. They have never overcome Los Blancos in the Champions League knockout round in the era of coach Diego Simeone.

At least twice, Atletico Madrid saw Real Madrid snatch the Champions League trophy when they were so close to the top. In the 2013-14 Champions League final, Simeone and his team painfully watched Sergio Ramos equalize for Real Madrid in the final minutes of stoppage time (Real Madrid later won in extra time). Fate repeated itself in the 2015-16 final, when Atletico Madrid even dragged Real Madrid into a penalty shootout but they still lost.

Tears of sadness fell again at Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in the early morning of March 13. As usual, Simeone's team burned 200% of their energy on the fateful gamble with Real Madrid. It only took them 27 seconds to make the stands explode when the fans were still not warm in their seats.

It seemed like fate was against Real Madrid when the brave warrior Vinicius kicked the ball into the sky in a penalty kick in the 70th minute. ESPN even described Vinicius: "Weak, lethargic and almost collapsed before the brutality of the match".

Yet, somehow, Real Madrid managed to overcome their city rivals in the most brutal way, going to a penalty shootout. If you had witnessed the match live, you probably wouldn't have been able to sit still because of the breathtaking action.

God created Real Madrid to be the king of the Champions League and was really cruel to Atletico Madrid. After the match, the press and television around the world mentioned Julian Alvarez's "two-touch" penalty kick as a typical example of the cruelty that Los Rojiblancos had to endure.

To be fair, Alvarez's supporting leg did not have enough impact to change the trajectory of the ball. That was also what coach Simeone said in the press conference. The bitter thing is that Alvarez's penalty kick could be the premise for changing the rules of football as UEFA has discussed with FIFA and IFAB (International Football Association Board). However, within the framework of the match, Alvarez and Atletico Madrid still had to play the role of "victims" of cruelty.

The Athletic described: "It was another bitter and cruel defeat for Atletico Madrid against Real Madrid". Before the match, coach Simeone received a question about the possibility of defeating Real Madrid. In response, the Argentine strategist declared: "The only one who knows the answer is God".

Now, we all know how God answered. If the match was like a Hollywood movie, Real Madrid was like the main character. Even though they were under the gunfire, they were still "allowed" to survive and reach the end of the story. Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid once again "raised their heads" in resentment for not being able to destroy the main character.

Lamine Yamal aiming for the Golden Ball

If the match between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid was fierce, the soft curve drawn by Lamine Yamal against Benfica was soft enough to dispel everything. It was the final destination of beauty that many people seek in football.

A hip-swing, a push and a sweet cut, beyond the reach of goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin. Perhaps, these few words are not enough to describe the sophistication of the masterpiece of the boy who just turned 17. Yamal has turned the most complicated things into the simplest and most beautiful.

The Guardian described: "It is impossible to use the word kick to describe Yamal's finish. He simply turned his ankle a little, bending the ball as if to tease his opponent." The most perfect skills such as stretching the ball, technique, and mischief were all put into the masterpiece drawn at Camp Nou.

Before that, in Barcelona's opening goal, Yamal also surprised everyone with his superb technique when he dribbled past people, then flicked the outside of his foot to assist Raphinha to score against Benfica.

Perhaps, if we don’t mention his age, many people forget that Yamal is still a high school student. When he participated in Euro 2024, this striker even brought his books to the Spanish team’s training camp to review for the exam. Yamal still wears braces, still has the mischievousness of a child, still has the sparkling smile of a schoolboy. However, everyone was fooled by that appearance. Yamal’s legs are not those of a 17-year-old.

Because even geniuses like C. Ronaldo or Messi were still just academy boys at the same age as Yamal. The Spanish prodigy has gone too far compared to other children of the same age. Yamal has the adventurousness of youth but is extremely stable.

For that reason, he has had the same influence on Barcelona's playing style as Messi did at his peak. If you don't believe this comment, you can see that Barca's most unstable period this season was when the 17-year-old boy had to sit out due to injury.

Former player Owen Hargreaves exclaimed when commenting on TNT Sports: "I have never seen such an excellent 17-year-old player. I saw Wayne Rooney play at that age and found him extraordinary. However, Yamal is even more excellent than that. This boy does things I cannot believe. Scoring goals or assisting, Yamal performs those skills as easily as eating candy."

Witness the image of Raphinha cleaning Yamal's boots to see the respect the senior has for the 17-year-old junior. Former England manager Glenn Hoddle stressed that it was a worthy reward for Yamal.

Assuming Barcelona win the Champions League this season, Yamal will certainly be a strong candidate. In this race, Mohamed Salah was at a big disadvantage when Liverpool was eliminated early in the Champions League. Now, Kylian Mbappe, Raphinha, Vinicius Junior or Ousmane Dembele are the biggest rivals for Yamal.

If all goes well, Barcelona could face Real Madrid in the Champions League final. That would be the real battle for the 2025 Ballon d'Or.

What is the outcome for English football teams?

Liverpool were eliminated, which was a heavy blow to English football's ambitions in the Champions League. After all, The Kop is still stronger and more stable in the European arena than the two remaining representatives, Arsenal and Aston Villa.

Many people regretted Liverpool's defeat to PSG in the penalty shootout. However, it must be admitted that coach Arne Slot's team had to face an excellent opponent. Without Mbappe, PSG played with a higher collective spirit. Among them, Ousmane Dembele was too dangerous in the role of "false 9".

Despite their strong start to the season, dominating the Premier League and the Champions League qualifying stages, Liverpool are not without their weaknesses, which were exposed in their match against PSG.

In the first leg, Liverpool's midfield was completely numb and passive against PSG's high-pressing style of play. In the second leg, they lacked a truly sharp striker to deliver the decisive blow.

PSG have studied Liverpool very well, locking down Salah very well in both matches. The Egyptian striker did not have a goal, assist, shot on target or create any chances in 206 minutes against the French team. Meanwhile, other strikers in Liverpool's attack such as Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo did not create any explosive points. Clearly, Liverpool still lack a truly sharp striker to become more complete.

Aston Villa have brought an interesting touch to this season’s Champions League. In their first appearance (since the tournament was renamed the Champions League in 1992), Unai Emery’s team showed many bright spots. The 6-1 victory over Club Brugge in the Champions League round of 16 showed that Aston Villa are quite formidable.

However, the deeper they go into the Champions League, the more formidable and stubborn opponents Aston Villa will have to face. None other than PSG will be the one to stop Emery's team from advancing in the quarter-finals.

Prince William of Wales attended the match between Aston Villa and Club Brugge. After the match, he also expressed the message: "See you in Paris", implying that he will continue to support Aston Villa in the Champions League. However, coach Emery cannot dream. He admitted: "PSG is a very scary opponent when defeating one of the strongest teams in Europe at the moment, Liverpool".

With new winds like Marcos Ansesio, Marcus Rashford, Aston Villa promises to bring many interesting things. However, remember, Aston Villa's element of surprise is gradually passing.

Mikel Arteta's Arsenal have all but given up on the Premier League title race. They have grown steadily over the years but have never shown the mettle to become the new kings. After two disappointing seasons losing the title to Man City, Arsenal could be runners-up again this season.

In that context, the "Gunners" will have to face the "destined one" Real Madrid in the quarter-finals. Arsenal's most important task is to overcome the fear that many opponents encounter when facing Real Madrid. Just looking at the power emanating from the Royal's feet, many opponents have faltered. This is a very difficult challenge for coach Arteta and his team.

Both remaining English teams are underdogs in the Champions League quarter-finals. Can they cause a major shock or will they suffer the same fate as Liverpool (lost to PSG) and Man City (lost to Real Madrid). The fate of the English teams is more uncertain than ever.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/champions-league-loi-nguyen-tan-nhan-cau-be-17-tuoi-khuynh-dao-tuc-cau-20250314022050477.htm