Atlético Madrid – Bayer Leverkusen: Rojiblancos Remember Their Roots (2-1)

A decade ago, Atlético Madrid mastered the dark arts and embraced the discipline of defending to thwart the aristocracy. Though times have changed, the team still holds onto parts of that identity. As the German guests gained the high ground, Diego Simeone saw his men maneuver with wit and resilience to set up a grandstand finish for the race to the top eight next week.

Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere.

Atlético Madrid maneuvered effectively in the summer to bring back bite to the camp. A 1-0 loss to Leganés left them two points below their cross city rivals in LaLiga. Yet, first principles are firmly in place once more. The tightest defense in the top five European leagues has only shipped 13 league goals. Dogged defensive displays have handed the team memorable nights, but the squad still must put in work in this tournament against another tough opponent to try and qualify for the next phase.

Bayer Leverkusen look like they have rebuilt their rhythm. The Bundesliga champions took on the unenviable task of trying to better the perfection of an invincible domestic double. They muddled their way through the first few months of the campaign,

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