May 28, UEFA Champions League Final: Real Madrid - Atlético Madrid
May 26, 2016 10:09 AM - Subscribe
In a rehash of the dramatic 2014 final, Real looks for the 11th title on their 14th final and Atlético for their first in their third final. It's a Madrid showdown in Milan's San Siro.
After what was looking a lost season in the early months of the year after Benitez was fired and replaced with legend Zinedine Zidane, and a player usage irregularity meant the club was disqualified early in the Copa del Rey, Real Madrid mounted a comeback and challenged Barcelona for the title until the last week, finishing second.
In Europe, however, it was smooth sailing during the early stages, where they easily won their group with PSG, Shaktar Donetsk and Malmö only dropping two points at Paris, but after easily knocking out Roma in the Ro16, they had to rely on a Ronaldo hat-trick in Madrid to turn a 2-0 away defeat in Wolfsburg, and got past a generally toothless Manchester City in the semi-finals, with an own goal by Fernando in the return leg in Madrid making the difference between both sides.
While Atlético Madrid still crossed the new year in the title race, by February the race looked to be against their Madrid rivals for the second place. As Barcelona's slide in form in mid March to mid April (where they dropped 11 out of 15 points) saw their gap turned into a tie and bring the title race back on, but a surprising slip late in the season against Levante meant Barcelona were crowned champions, and Real pushed them to third.
Like Real, Atlético easily won their group stage against Benfica, Galatasaray and Astana with 13 points, and after knocking out PSV in the Ro16 in penalties after 210 goalless minutes, they knocked out two favourites - first Barcelona, after scoring a crucial away goal in Barcelona, a controlling 2-0 victory in Madrid at the height of Barcelona's misery, and then finishing off the hopes of Pepe Guardiola leaving Munich with an European title, with an away goal by Antoine Griezmann in the second leg being too much for the Germans to overcome.
UEFA.com coverage
(also, as of now, O. Lyon is one goal ahead of Wolfsburg in the Women's Champions League final early in the second half, if someone is watching)
After what was looking a lost season in the early months of the year after Benitez was fired and replaced with legend Zinedine Zidane, and a player usage irregularity meant the club was disqualified early in the Copa del Rey, Real Madrid mounted a comeback and challenged Barcelona for the title until the last week, finishing second.
In Europe, however, it was smooth sailing during the early stages, where they easily won their group with PSG, Shaktar Donetsk and Malmö only dropping two points at Paris, but after easily knocking out Roma in the Ro16, they had to rely on a Ronaldo hat-trick in Madrid to turn a 2-0 away defeat in Wolfsburg, and got past a generally toothless Manchester City in the semi-finals, with an own goal by Fernando in the return leg in Madrid making the difference between both sides.
While Atlético Madrid still crossed the new year in the title race, by February the race looked to be against their Madrid rivals for the second place. As Barcelona's slide in form in mid March to mid April (where they dropped 11 out of 15 points) saw their gap turned into a tie and bring the title race back on, but a surprising slip late in the season against Levante meant Barcelona were crowned champions, and Real pushed them to third.
Like Real, Atlético easily won their group stage against Benfica, Galatasaray and Astana with 13 points, and after knocking out PSV in the Ro16 in penalties after 210 goalless minutes, they knocked out two favourites - first Barcelona, after scoring a crucial away goal in Barcelona, a controlling 2-0 victory in Madrid at the height of Barcelona's misery, and then finishing off the hopes of Pepe Guardiola leaving Munich with an European title, with an away goal by Antoine Griezmann in the second leg being too much for the Germans to overcome.
UEFA.com coverage
(also, as of now, O. Lyon is one goal ahead of Wolfsburg in the Women's Champions League final early in the second half, if someone is watching)
It's... complicated. Barcelona, Real, and Bayern right now are teams that can win their championships as easily as the Champions League. Since 2009-10, Barcelona hit the semi-finals of the Champions League 5 times (Real and Bayern 6). So, it's hard to measure how things work at this level - I wouldn't trade any silverware over runner up medals - a double is better than winning the league and losing the CL final, particularly because the odds that Barcelona will be in position to win it next season are favourable. For teams like PSG, Juventus, Dortmund and even Atlético Madrid, these shots at glory are much less frequent.
For instance, I've argued a lot with a friend of mine if Guardiola's Bayern can be classified as a flop. They still won easily the Bundesliga, but considering they can snap their fingers and the best players on their rivals will come to them, is really that much of a major achievement, considering they fell short of the final all three years, after being in the final 3 times on the previous 4, and never looking as threatening as 2012-2013?
posted by lmfsilva at 2:55 PM on May 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
For instance, I've argued a lot with a friend of mine if Guardiola's Bayern can be classified as a flop. They still won easily the Bundesliga, but considering they can snap their fingers and the best players on their rivals will come to them, is really that much of a major achievement, considering they fell short of the final all three years, after being in the final 3 times on the previous 4, and never looking as threatening as 2012-2013?
posted by lmfsilva at 2:55 PM on May 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
Just because I had to hunt a bit to find this out, but in the US, the game is on the main Fox channel.
posted by idb at 7:32 AM on May 28, 2016
posted by idb at 7:32 AM on May 28, 2016
FS2 is inexplicably playing the previous real madrid v atl madrid final from 2014 which i watched for 10 full minutes before becoming filled with wild outrage
posted by poffin boffin at 9:57 AM on May 28, 2016
posted by poffin boffin at 9:57 AM on May 28, 2016
Much better second half, so far. Shocking penalty by Pepe, followed by a shocking miss by Griezmann.
Carvajal might be out of Euro 2016.
posted by lmfsilva at 1:13 PM on May 28, 2016
Carvajal might be out of Euro 2016.
posted by lmfsilva at 1:13 PM on May 28, 2016
a few good moments in the second half when the game was open, but mostly another dull final.
Atletico Madrid now lost three finals - first in a rematch, then in overtime, now on penalties.
posted by lmfsilva at 2:44 PM on May 28, 2016
Atletico Madrid now lost three finals - first in a rematch, then in overtime, now on penalties.
posted by lmfsilva at 2:44 PM on May 28, 2016
Real play really beautiful football and they totally deserved the win but wow do I hate Ronaldo.
Also great is that Zidane is the head coach.
If Pep hadn't (mysteriously or maybe suspiciously? No of course not just mysteriously) played the team that he did in the first half of the game against Atletico maybe this would have all been different and we'd have had Bayern against Real which I would guess would have been a better game. Where a better game is one Ronaldo doesn't win.
posted by From Bklyn at 2:45 PM on May 28, 2016
Also great is that Zidane is the head coach.
If Pep hadn't (mysteriously or maybe suspiciously? No of course not just mysteriously) played the team that he did in the first half of the game against Atletico maybe this would have all been different and we'd have had Bayern against Real which I would guess would have been a better game. Where a better game is one Ronaldo doesn't win.
posted by From Bklyn at 2:45 PM on May 28, 2016
One comment I've seen about that game was "Guardiola was playing chess thinking everyone else was playing checkers, but in reality, they were playing football", which is a great analogy when a manager overthinks a matchup so much believing they're outsmarting their opponent, they end up shooting themselves in the foot.
Where a better game is one Ronaldo doesn't win.
Euro 2016 is right around the corner.
posted by lmfsilva at 5:29 AM on May 29, 2016 [1 favorite]
Where a better game is one Ronaldo doesn't win.
Euro 2016 is right around the corner.
posted by lmfsilva at 5:29 AM on May 29, 2016 [1 favorite]
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In the heirarchy of season accomplishments, what would be your gradation?
I only count League, National Cup and the Champions League as worthwhile accomplishments. The Supercup/Supercopa/FIFA World Club Cup are nothing but moneygrabs and not worth bothering about.
So in this case; A TREBLE is of course the be all and end all. And Barca have done it twice in the last decade. I cannot believe I lived to see one, let alone two of these unicorns.
After that: would you take a double like Barca's this year over a Champions League Victory?
My own opinion, subject to change is
1) Treble
2) Champions League + 1(either league or cup)
3) Champions League
4) Domestic Double
5) League
6) Cup
So although I am very very happy that Barca recovered in time to get a double; I still would have preferred a Champions League; at least an appearance in the Final; more.
What say me fellow Mefite Fitba fans?
posted by indianbadger1 at 1:56 PM on May 26, 2016