Taktik Bertahan Chelsea Tahan Imbang Atletico Madrid
Defensive Chelsea Holds Atletico in Scoreless Draw
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
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Madrid (B2B) - Chelsea sukses menahan imbang tuan rumah Atletico Madrid pada leg pertama semifinal Liga Champions di stadion Vicente Calderon, Rabu dini hari waktu Indonesia.
Atletico Madrid menekan Chelsea sejak menit awal. Pada menit pertama penyerang Atletico, Diego, melepaskan tendangan ke gawang Chelsea, namun masih melebar.
Pada menit ke-16 penjaga gawang andalan Chelsea, Petr Cech, harus meninggalkan lapangan akibat cedera lengan kanan usai menghalau tandangan sudut pemain Atletico. Posisi Cech digantikan Mark Schwarzer, seperti dilansir Yahoo Sports.
Pada menit 18 melalui sepak pojok Chelsea nyaris membuka keunggulan namun sundulan John Terry masih menyamping tipis di sisi kanan gawang Atletico.
Melalui skema serangan balik yang dibangun Willian, pada menit 26, Chelsea berpeluang mencetak angka, namun eksekusi Ramirez masih melebar di sisi kanan gawang Courtois.
Skor akhir tanpa gol tetap bertahan hingga wasit meniup peluit panjang akhir pertandingan.
Uefa.com mencatat Atletico menguasai jalannya laga dengan 62 persen penguasaan bola.
Meski tidak ada gol tecipta, tim asuhan Diego Simeone melepaskan 20 tendangan dan 10 diantaranya tepat mengarah gawang Chelsea.
Di sisi lain Chelsea yang tampil bertahan hanya melakukan tiga tendangan tepat mengarah ke gawang Courtois.
Pada leg kedua yang akan digelar di Stamford Bridge, London, pekan depan, Atletico hanya membutuhkan skor imbang dengan gol jika ingin lolos ke final.
Madrid - Chelsea's defensive game plan worked perfectly as it held Atletico Madrid to a 0-0 draw in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal on Tuesday.
Jose Mourinho's ultra-defensive tactics succeeded at the Vicente Calderon Stadium despite the exit of goalkeeper Petr Cech to injury in the 18th minute. Mark Schwarzer came on, with Cech's long-term replacement — Thibaut Courtois — playing in the opposite goal, on loan from Chelsea.
Atletico nearly broke through in the final 15 minutes as Raul Garcia and substitute Arda Turan sent headers wide, while Gabi Fernandez and Diego Costa forced Schwarzer into saves.
But Chelsea looked too strong at the back, despite also losing captain John Terry to an injury that will sideline him for the remainder of the Premier League season. The result will leave the English side feeling upbeat about its chances of returning to the final, two years after beating Bayern Munich on penalties.
Atletico, which is top of the Spanish league and hasn't been this far in Europe's top competition since 1974, needs a plan for breaking open a Chelsea defense that will be handicapped by injuries and suspensions in the return leg.
The second leg is at Stamford Bridge on April 30 with the winner playing either Bayern or Real Madrid in the May 24 final at Lisbon.
Chelsea striker Fernando Torres started on his first return to his boyhood club — but made little impact like much of his side's attack — as Oscar and Andre Schuerrle were left on the substitutes' bench. Eden Hazard and Samuel Eto'o were out due to injury.
