The 2016 UEFA Champions League Final is this Saturday, May 28 in Milan. As many of you know, it will be an All-Madrid final. Atletico Madrid will want to get some revenge on their rivals, for they lost the 2014 finals to Real Madrid.
Back then:
These two teams last met in the final in 2014, when Real beat Atletico 4-1, scoring three of their goals in extra time. Atletico performed beautifully in the first half, scoring a goal and letting the opposition have only two shots on target. However, the second half changed the tempo of the game. Two important substitutions saw Sami Khedira and Fabio Coentrao leave for Isco and Marcelo. This double substitution proved to be a major turning point in the game. All off the sudden, Real's passing was perfected, and they found themselves with more possession of the ball. Another event that lead to Atletico's downfall was Diego Costa's early substitution. He was substituted off at the 9th minute because of an injury he picked up. This wasted substitution lead to Diego Simeone having less options later on in the second half.
Now:
It's expected to come to Real Madrid's attack vs Atletico Madrid's defense. Diego Simeone's team will try to defend against any of Real's deadly attacks. They'll want to target the front three (Ronaldo, Benzema, and Bale) but also keeping an eye on the midfield players. They'll want to put every player they have in their own half of the pitch (as shown in figure 1). Real Madrid on the other hand, are expected to do the complete opposite. They have the tendency to play out from the back, keep possession and attack at every chance they'll get. This, however, could lead to disastrous results. The Bayern vs Atletico game earlier in this season's competition saw Bayern Munich try to beat Atletico with a similar style of play. This lead to some great counter-attack opportunities by Atletico. Real Madrid would want to learn off of Bayern mistakes if they want to beat their rivals on Saturday.
Predictions:
As much as I want Real Madrid to win Saturday's game, I see a win for Atletico Madrid. If they're defending is as good as it normally is, they will be able to handle anything Real throw at them. The same type of tactics won Leicester City a Premier League title. Why won't it win Atletico a Champions League title?
Real Madrid: 0
Atletico Madrid: 1
