A goalkeeper condemns Atlético to purgatory in his last breath

It was a match to choose between heaven and hell and what better place to do it than Rome, a place that has doors to both worlds. Atlético, on the other hand, had purgatory, but he did not choose it, but rather the inexperience of a Lazio that deserved more and could not find Oblak's goal until the end. Curiously, it was not a striker who did it, but the goalkeeper. Yes, as they read it. After a corner in the last minute, Provedel came in to finish like a howitzer and tied a game that seemed dead. [Narrative and statistics (1-1)]

The truth is that it was a tie of faith. A tie that deserved a return of honor to the stadium to the delight of an Olympian dedicated to his team. There are ties and ties and this one, of course, tastes very good. For the minute and for its protagonist. Lazio, as a certain Italian coach likes to say, came out with more energy than Simeone's team. Not that the Argentine coach who, perhaps spurred by the nice reception given by the Laziale fans, saw the first yellow card of the match for repeatedly leaving his technical area.. Something, by the way, that this year UEFA looks at with a magnifying glass since just 15 minutes later, Maurizio Sarri also saw it.

Although Atlético would be the first to shoot on goal after a Lino challenge, it was Lazio who imposed My way, Sinatra's song covered for the local anthem. The team rocked to the rhythm of Luis Alberto, a different footballer who jogs, not runs, remembers a certain Argentine footballer who recently won the world champion, bridging the gap.. The man from Cádiz has the magic of good soccer players from the south who are capable of finding spaces on foot.. He could have crowned his match with a flag goal if he had scored a beautiful volley from the edge of the area. The ball licked the post. Bad luck.

Tribute to Lemar

The one who did have it was Barrios. The Atlético youth player became the youngest footballer in red and white history to score in the Champions League, surpassing a teammate he had on the field, Saúl. In the 29th minute, the boy completed a great pass behind Molina, who was not having his best night, to make the first. The shot seemed easy for the goalkeeper, but a defender deflected it and…. luck also plays.

However, the goal was a reward for the youth squad's good performance and a tribute to Lemar, his teammate who had recently undergone successful surgery for a ruptured Achilles tendon. The young man, almost making his debut in the Champions League, stood out in defense and attack.. The match didn't seem to bother him, although at half-time he had to be replaced by Giménez due to some discomfort.. Maybe it was physical, maybe inexperience had an influence.. Although as a sign of inexperience, that of Immobile, the captain of Lazio, and that he is 33 years old. He does everything well, but when it's his turn to finish, the night comes. The one he had after a bad clearance by Oblak was to put it in a video to the light blue youth players and explain to them that the dummy, and even more so when it is the Slovenian goalkeeper, is the worst place to shoot.

Lino's speed

It was the first clear of the second half and from there the game would open to places that Cholo does not like to travel.. Although Griezmann could have put the finishing touch right after if a bad bounce had not caused him to shoot high to the stands of the Curva Sud. The second half was a back-and-forth in which luck appeared again, but we all know that Morata is not exactly a player to buy lottery tickets from.. His shot was also deflected by a defender, although instead of going in, the ball hit the woodwork.. It wasn't the game for the Madrid native, but it could have been for Lino.

The Brazilian has emerged more determined than Riquelme to take over the left wing position after Carrasco's absence. The young man squeezed himself into the band to help Hermoso and Morata himself. Yes, as it sounds. He was capable of making the defense-attack transition at a speed faster than the eyes of this chronicler. He had the second in the 70th minute but, like Immobile, he finished in the center. Lazio didn't seem to have gunpowder until they found it in their goalkeeper. What can be said about that? A Roman miracle. A flying angel who came down from the sky at the last second to save his team.