A goal from Griezmann is not enough to prevent Atlético from leaving the World Cup through the back door.

We had to get back to the wire. We had to play with more courage and heart than head. Isn't that Atlético's motto? Without new names, the old ones had to transform from lambs into lions. Without a net. To the grave. A nightmare for Simeone , but an ode to the spectacle. We had to invoke any help, even Margarita and her bouquet. Even the demons, Botafogo in white, as the greatest enemy. But there was no luck, no decisiveness, no miracle. Three goals were too many. Atlético is saying goodbye to this Club World Cup through the back door. It was the group of death, yes, but they were one of the candidates to carry the sickle. Barely a scratch for Griezmann in the twilight of the match. [Narration and statistics, 1-0]

Seeing is believing. The first few minutes were Brazilian. More touch, more composure, and no red-and-white pressure. Their captain, Marlon Freitas, told this newspaper that the "Brazilians should play with joy." And that's what they did. Without rushing. They only accelerated their counterattacks, and how. Impossible to keep up with. Savarino stood alone against Oblak , and the Slovenian made a good save from that one-on-one. Cholo demanded a decisive effort in the penalty areas, and for the moment, they had to settle for their own.

In the first quarter-hour report, the very idea that Atlético could win by three goals against the Brazilian team was a pipe dream. While they had threatened Oblak 's goal three times, the red-and-whites hadn't had a single chance. Perhaps half a chance, if we count Gallagher 's shot, which came after a well-rehearsed play by Cholo 's team.

The center-backs were the most involved. Le Normand and Lenglet chased their counterparts into their own half to try to steal the ball and create danger without having to build up. De Paul 's first 20 minutes were like the Argentine's bad brother, the kind that drove the Metropolitano to despair until this season, when he got his act together again, as he did midway through the first half.

It was necessary to invoke luck. Perhaps if the coin in Julián 's slalom had landed heads, César Ramos would have awarded a penalty, and life would have been different. But it came up tails. They had to keep rowing, but above all, win duels, because that's what decides matches, and the Brazilians were winning every one. At least after half an hour, the duel was even.

Julián had a chance to equalize twice. The first time, after a pass from Sorloth after a cross from De Paul . The second time, he couldn't connect with a through ball from his compatriot. But five minutes later, a penalty came for a stamp on Araña , which VAR ruled out due to a slight push from Sorloth . If we talked about the coin toss earlier, there were already two crosses.

Griezmann came on after the break to change the team's fortunes, and his own. Both players needed magic. There were three goals left to score with 45 minutes left, and the one waving the magic wand was De Paul , far more inspired than he had been in the World Cup so far. Atlético grew from his boots, although they also had to be thankful for a greater aggressiveness right from the start of the locker room.

Griezmann's change

The Frenchman started on the right wing, from where he launched several aimless crosses. Then, with Correa coming on for Giuliano , the number seven recovered the left and had a great chance after beating his opponent, but the ball went inches wide. Shortly after, it was Sorloth who wasted a great cross from Llorente . The forcefulness.

The chances, which had been conspicuous by their absence in the first half, fell one after another, and, even better for Cholo , Botafogo no longer threatened on the counterattack, until in the 66th minute, almost in their only chance, Igor Jesús forced Oblak into a legendary save. A scare to remember that one goal would kill the Rojiblancos' hopes.

The clock ticked relentlessly, with crosses flying unfinished and chances circling John's goal. However, in the 86th minute, Griezmann finally found the Brazilian net. It wasn't long for much feat. The pressure didn't work, and Atlético went home through the back door.