Borussia Dortmund’s Sabitzer sinks Atlético Madrid in seesaw thriller

The Champions League football game at Westfalen was intense and wild. The stadium was colorful, the noise was deafening, and the defenses were a disaster. Despite Borussia Dortmund's exciting win, people still wonder if they can be taken seriously and break the cycle of unpredictable success and failure. Can they fight against Paris Saint-Germain, who may have their own weaknesses but can take advantage of weak defenses?

The match was full of problems and confusion, feeling like a dramatic event all on its own. Dortmund lost a couple of times, but then managed to win twice. Niclas Füllkrug and Marcel Sabitzer scored crucial goals late in the game, leading Dortmund to its first semi-final appearance since 2013. Although Atlético made a valiant effort to come back at the start of the second half, looking back it seemed like they were a weakened team struggling to stay afloat, unlike the strong and imposing Atlético teams that Diego Simeone used to create.

Naturally, fans of Atlético Madrid will defend their coach Simeone vehemently, while also expressing their disappointment in the team's recent struggles due to the loss of key players, lack of investment, and reliance on aging players. Koke expressed frustration after a recent loss, acknowledging that missed opportunities were the cause. However, the team's struggles go beyond missed chances and extend to fundamental skills such as clearing lines, winning battles, and tracking runners. While it's not solely Simeone's responsibility, as the head coach it falls on him to address these issues. Unfortunately, Atlético Madrid seems to face this problem numerous times per season.

Let's consider the winning goal as an example. It was a straightforward pass in a diagonal direction that Julian Brandt had the opportunity to handle inside the penalty area. Füllkrug then followed up on the ball, allowing Sabitzer ample space to shoot. Previously, Atlético Madrid seldom allowed goals like this to be scored. However, if they had hoped to defend their 2-1 lead from the first leg, it was quickly proven to be unrealistic as they conceded within minutes of the game commencing.

Sabitzer played a pivotal role in creating confusion during the game. Just by looking at his resume, which includes clubs like Dortmund, two Red Bull teams and Manchester United, it becomes clear that he's very experienced when it comes to causing chaos. Despite playing as a central midfielder, he doesn't stick to the traditional roles expected of a player in that position. Throughout the game, Sabitzer only managed to complete 17 passes, and didn't attempt to tackle or win any headers. However, he was still all over the pitch, constantly pressing the opposing team's goalkeeper, freely moving between the left and right sides of the field, and intelligently finding open spaces. Sabitzer is exactly what you could call a versatile midfielder.

The start of the game showed a clear divide. Sabitzer's attempt at scoring was prevented by Azpilicueta with a great block. However, this left Dortmund defenseless, with Can the only one in midfield, making it essentially a 4-1-5 setup. Morata had a chance to score but missed. Simeone was visibly upset but not shocked.

During the half-way point of the game, Dortmund took advantage of the situation. Brandt pushed the ball past Jan Oblak thanks to a spectacular diagonal pass from Mats Hummels. Later, Ian Maatsen charged ahead and scored with strength from a difficult angle after getting past Koke. Simeone reacted by making three substitutions during the break, which seemed more like a tantrum than a strategic move.

It was impressive how well it all worked out. When Rodrigo Riquelme replaced Azpilicueta on the left, he brought a lot more excitement and skill to the field. Meanwhile, Ángel Correa proved to be a much more threatening player than Morata. Throughout the game, Dortmund struggled with their weaknesses, and on the 49th minute, Hummels accidentally scored an own goal. Later, Correa managed to score after a chaotic struggle for the ball. Simeone put on quite the show, throwing fits and reacting dramatically to the events of the game. His performance was so mesmerizing, that it was hard to tell if he was being possessed by God or the devil.

The match lacked structure and was empty, with darkness looming over the watery field. However, Sabitzer's determination was evident as he guided the ball across the water. Füllkrug made a calculated pass from the left, followed by Atlético failing to clear the ball. Sabitzer's shot was untamed, but managed to find its way to the bottom corner of the net. As the game neared its end, Atlético struggled to come back and tried new tactics. Nevertheless, the goal had been scored and the game was decided.