Osasuna's European dream outweighs Atlético's pride.

Atlético were playing without goals, Osasuna were playing without a coach for next season. Two teams with similar character, but different status. One already in the European aristocracy, the other striving for European entry. Simeone was driven mad by his team's attitude in Vitoria, so, with or without a goal, the Rojiblancos' outing at the Sadar wasn't spectacular, but neither was it a straightforward stage of the Tour de France. The Rojillos, on the other hand, can't think about Vicente Moreno 's sudden and surprising departure; they have to bite the bullet in the remaining matches, regardless of the opponent. And against Atlético, they showed it with effectiveness and heart. Dreaming of a victory is now a reality. [Narration and statistics, 2-0]

However, Moreno 's 5-3-2, once Cholo 's favorite system, was waiting in the wings near Sergio Herrera , waiting for Aimar to launch a counterattack from the boots of the lightning-fast Bryan Zaragoza . But the kryptonite of speedy wingers also occupied that flank, and the Bayern Munich winger struggled to find continuity. And with Giuliano as his squire, if that weren't enough.

But Zaragoza doesn't only have speed as a weapon; they have a good footwork, and it was he who set the stage for Catena , from a corner, to put the Rojillos ahead and bring them closer to the European dream. If they achieve it, it would be the sixth time in their history. There had been barely any shots on goal, just three, two by the Rojiblancos and one by the Rojillos, and all with more innocence than malice. But Oblak had already lost the unbeaten record he had maintained in the last three matches. This is no minor detail for the Slovenian, a firm favorite to win Zamora this year and thus enter the history books with six, one more than Ramallets and Valdés .

Atlético were looking for a goal through Sorloth 's boots, the Norwegian on a roll after his four wins against Real Sociedad. He feinted from a corner and tried just after the half-hour mark after a pass from Llorente, but Herrera saved the ball on the line. He's undoubtedly a different resource to Griezmann , perhaps more useful for this Atlético side, playing deep from the flanks and eager to use crosses from the wings.

Now it was time to test the pride of the red-and-whites, far from the encouragement of their own fans... and their demands. The coach's rants could be diluted if there was no continuity from the stands, and at Sadar, of course, the less intensity the opponent brought, the better. For the time being, Galán and Giuliano left their places at halftime to Azpilicueta and Lino. This isn't a criticism; Simeone usually makes substitutions at halftime, but he wanted different players on the pitch: one more sober and another more skillful.

But football aside, Barrios caused a scare early in the second half when he collapsed in the Osasuna penalty area after a solo run. It all ended in a scare, and the player was able to go off on his own two feet. Cholo 's third substitution in five minutes, although this one wouldn't count toward the goals. And worst of all, the substitutions seemed to be having no effect, as the game slowed down even further.

Enlightened Budimir

The only one who looked to accelerate the game was De Paul . The Argentine moved between the lines with agility and threaded passes to teammates who were too stationary. It was incredibly difficult to find the back of a Red and White defense, which was very tight and, above all, very alert. A goal was a precious asset and had to be saved even if there were few threats up front.

Sorloth 's departure sapped Atlético's depth, and Griezmann and Correa couldn't find the Norwegian's finishing, so Atlético monopolized possession, but Sergio Herrera wasn't struggling between the posts. And despite the pitch being overcrowded, it was Osasuna who struck again, with Budimir having the season of his life: 20 goals, the latter against an Atlético side that was unable to find the same forcefulness as Moreno 's team. The dream weighs heavily, and the Slovenian's Zamora team isn't enough. Osasuna will choose a coach for next year; surely with the European title in hand, there will be more candidates.