Deserved victory for Atlético de Madrid against Salzburg in one of the most complete matches of the entire season for the red-and-white team. The plan worked perfectly, dominating their opponent from the first minute and sealing everything by halftime thanks to three goals. The scorer of two of them was Antoine Griezmann, who has put an end to any debate about his performance, reaching 14 goals.
It wasn't a really demanding opponent for the colchonero team, as it was one of the weakest in this new edition of the Champions League. However, Simeone didn't want surprises, and that goal of being able to qualify among the top eight was too close to waste. Now, they will be able to skip a preliminary round before the round of 16, which will surely help physically for the demanding month of February.
The best Antoine Griezmann
The French forward was one of those who most needed to show his best level in an important match after some somewhat complicated weeks. There were many critical voices against the player, accusing him of having dropped his performance compared to what was seen during the first months of the season. However, the world champion wanted to clear all those criticisms at once and went to halftime with a very important brace.
The second half was calmer, although Marcos Llorente would score another goal against the weakness of Salzburg's goalkeeper. Even Thomas Lemar was able to add minutes at the end of the match, with the visit to Elche being his last participation, having a very minor role this season. There was no opportunity for Kostis or Rayane, the youth players who had traveled to Austria to cover the absences of Pablo Barrios and Javi Galán.
Giuliano Simeone, the revelation
The Argentine winger was another standout name in Salzburg, opening the scoring and being a nightmare for the Austrian team's defense. His pressure and speed were a constant threat on the right wing, and he could have added more goals to his personal tally. He assisted Antoine Griezmann in Atlético de Madrid's second goal, something he already did in the comeback against Leganés.
Giuliano Simeone now has two goals this season, matching Conor Gallagher or Samuel Lino, which demonstrates his great level. Now demanding weeks are coming for the colchoneros with LaLiga and a new round of the Copa del Rey, hosting Getafe at the Metropolitano. Additionally, next week will bring that Madrid classic against Real Madrid, which is taking on the aroma of a final for the league title.