Joao Félix returned, a rat, and returned the smile, still slight, to Atlético. Half an hour in the field, even leaning badly to the left, was enough. A control, aim and shot was enough: his goal. And victory. As before an injury lowered him from the final stretch of the championship. The forgotten Portuguese language that makes Simeone's calculator good. Gray premiere for the people of Madrid against a serious rival and, without doing much, triumph. With Joao it is something else. Manchester United, 0; Atlético de Madrid, 0 Friendly, in Oslo Manchester United: De Gea; Diogo Dalot, Maguire, Lindelof, Malacia; McTominay (Van de Beek, 69), Fred; Elanga (Pellistri, 76, and Garner, 90)), Bruno Fernandez, Rashford; and Martial (Eriksen, 69) At.Madrid: Oblak; Molina (Díez, 59), Savic (Wass, 59), Giménez (Witsel, 59), Reinildo; Llorente (Saúl, 59), Kondogbia (De Paul, 59), Lemar (Koke, 59), Carrasco (Joao Félix, 59); Correa (Griezmann, 59) and Cunha (Morata, 59). Goals: Joao Felix. M.87 Incidents: Sent off, Fred (90), for a double warning. Yellow has Lemar, Reinildo, Oblak, McTominay, Maguire, Saúl. With an equal opponent in front, Manchester United (without Cristiano) and not Numancia, Atlético 2022-23 premiered the suffering. Especially at the beginning, when in a hellish sequence, Rashford sent Savic to the ground inside the area with a cut, Martial portrayed Giménez in a breakaway and Maguire and Lindelof insinuated red and white deficiencies in the defense from set pieces. Nothing happened because Oblak, after the lapse of last year, looks more and more like Oblak, the best Oblak, and because the English had their aim damaged. Then the match leveled out. Dressed in a black shirt (Nike has managed to get Atlético's alternative clothing, such has been the aggression against the main one, to be received as a blessing), Atlético was carried away by the 4-4-2 with which Simeone had warned in the trainings. A drawing that does not alter the numbers, but it does alter some positions: it advances Carrasco's and widens that of Reinildo, in defense, and Llorente, in midfield. The tactical change, which appeared for an hour (the last half, after the massive substitutions, went to a 5-4-1) did not show improvements or very visible damages. They are soon. The appointment assigned to see the Argentine side Nahuel Molina for the first time as a mattress player. No holes were seen, but no great boasts either. A simply correct performance, timid to presuppose it. In reality, no one left Atlético in a big way. Except Oblak, yes, who was serious and safe. And, of course, Joao Félix and his timely appearance. Related news standard Yes Numancia, 0; atlético, 4 Goleada with crooked stripes José Miguélez opinion If the far post Cristiano's thing Juanma Rodríguez When Simeone scrambled his lineup (new hit substitutions) he sent a few messages. He placed midfielder Witsel again as a central defender (and Wass), which reveals that the team lacks a wardrobe in that position (especially if they play with five at the back) and that perhaps, despite what Cerezo said, not agreement to close the transfer market. He yelled at Saúl 'I'm in charge here' and used him again as a boy for everything, this time as a left winger, the position that unleashed the storm of a year ago and that led to the left-hander's departure to Chelsea. Griezmann and Joao were condemned to work great glued to the sides in midfield. In the final stretch, he only founds the return of Reinildo (the only one along with Oblak who played all the time: very strange that Gbric did not leave when he was in the same line to enter) to the left central position, his last season . It performs better than lateral. Little more. Atlético only had the virtue of lowering United's initial enthusiasm and leveling the game down, towards boredom and for things to stop happening. Not a good one occurred to the people of Madrid. That they left Oslo without regretting blows, but, above all, without boasting of a single chance of danger. No shots on goal, like in the old days.
