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Tops / Flops Leipzig-Atlético: Upamecano at the top, Simeone without spring – Champions League

Find the Tops and Flops of the Champions League quarter-final between RB Leipzig and Atlético Madrid.

TOPS

Upamecano is (really) strong
Seeing him shine at this level is no surprise – he had already been very strong against Tottenham in the previous round – but Dayot Upamecano proved again on Thursday night that he was made of the wood of great defenders. The Frenchman with an impressive physique delivered a performance of absolute class Thursday evening, perfectly muzzling Diego Costa and multiplying sharp interventions on the ground and in the air. Far from being clumsy with the ball in the foot and carried on the offensive, the former Valenciennois often climbed to trigger the actions of Leipzig while showing remarkable composure when Atlético pushed. At only 21 years old, the right-hander is already playing like an old man and could well land at Clairefontaine at the start of the school year… The Parisian attackers will have to deal with heavy Tuesday.

»READ ALSO – Fallen from Atlético, Leipzig joins PSG in the semi-finals

Flowers for Sabitzer
He has a sense of goal (16 achievements in all competitions this season) but above all, a remarkable vista and football IQ (12 assists). Real metronome of RB Leipzig, Marcel Sabitzer was again in all good places Thursday evening. Decisive passer for Olmo, the Austrian midfielder managed an outside right foot that was simply magical to put Angelino into orbit, whose center will lead to Adams’ goal synonymous with qualification. Maestro.

Lightning Felix
On the bench at kickoff, Joao Félix furtively recalled why Atlético had put so much money on the table to recruit him last summer (€ 126m). Entered in the second period, the former Benfica player did not take long to make the difference in his old garden with a thunderous raid concluded by a German foul and an indisputable penalty. The Portuguese took justice himself but it was not enough.

FLOPS

Simeone without spring
If Atlético Madrid managed to save its season by snatching the podium in La Liga thanks to a nice finish (7 wins, 4 draws in the last 11 matches), the magic no longer operates as in the past in the Champions League. Eliminated in the group stage in 2018 and then in the 8th last year (overthrown by Ronaldo and Juve), the Colchoneros had thought to find their fluid by leaving the defending champion, Liverpool, in March. Thursday, they never really found the parade with the beautiful German inspirations. Despite his winning coaching with Felix (see above), Diego Simeone appeared short of ideas, sometimes even resigned him who is used to erupts at the edge of the field. Shaken by the precepts of his young counterpart Julian Nagelsmann (33 years old), “El Cholo” would he have lost his mojo in C1?

Diego Costa, pit bull with filed teeth
Guardian figure of the battling and rogue Atlético, Diego Costa appeared quite harmless in Lisbon. The fault is obviously an intractable Dayot Upamecano who nipped in the bud any attempt by the Spaniard. At 31, the striker also seems to be on the downward slope, he who has scored only 5 times in 30 matches this season. Pitbull Costa doesn’t bite many people anymore.

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