The Atlético Madrid draws against Qarabag

The Atlético Madrid drew today without goals on the field of the modest Qarabag from Azerbaijan and significantly complicated its chances of qualifying for the round of 16 of the Champions League after offering a bad game.

Diego Simeone's team was obligated to win, but once again disappointed with its poor attacking play. It only added two points in three Champions League matchdays in Group C, a meager balance that leaves them against the ropes.

Atlético already wasted the first half. It barely had a single dangerous opportunity in the first 45 minutes, during which it didn't seem aware of everything at stake. In fact, for much of the time, Qarabag dominated and wanted more ball possession. They also handled it better.

Simeone proposed a seemingly offensive lineup with the presence of Nico Gaitán, Yannick Carrasco, Kevin Gameiro, and Antoine Griezmann. In theory, they were four attacking players, but in practice, it didn't translate into chances or possession. They played very defensively, with excessive caution, very slowly, and constantly kicking the ball away. They had no patience, no plan.

The only clear goal opportunity for the Spanish team before halftime came at 39 minutes with a left-footed shot by Griezmann that was met with the spectacular intervention of Sehic. They didn't create any more opportunities in the first half.

After the break, Atlético hinted at wanting something more. They were certainly obligated to. The Madrid team pushed forward, tried to recover the ball higher up the field, and the full-backs joined the attack. But they missed a through pass and a better night from their forwards.

As the minutes went by, Atlético started to leave gaps and Qarabag, encouraged by the result, even dared to launch counterattacks. In one of them, the South African Dino Ndlovu came close to putting the home team ahead amid the visiting team's confusion.

Later, at 75 minutes, the Qarabag forward was sent off after receiving his second yellow card for allegedly simulating a penalty. By then, Ángel Correa and Fernando Torres were already on the bench for Atlético.

The minutes passed and they couldn't even take advantage of their numerical superiority. They relied too much on uncontrolled crosses into the box, and Qarabag had no major difficulties in defending a scoreline that filled them with pride, as they secured their first point in the Champions League. The same cannot be said about Atlético, who now finds themselves in a critical situation due to their own shortcomings.