Atletico Madrid needed only 10 minutes to identify Barcelona’s most vulnerable area, repeatedly targeting the left side of the Catalan defence, where Joao Cancelo was involved from the opening whistle.
According to Sport, three successive Atletico attacks highlighted Cancelo’s difficulty in judging when to move forward and press an opponent, and when to hold his defensive position.
The first warning came when Julian Alvarez found himself in a one-on-one situation after Atletico exploited the space on Barcelona’s left. Cancelo failed to deal with the danger effectively, allowing the Argentina forward to create a serious opportunity.
Atletico returned to the same area for their second attack. Their persistence down that flank earned them a corner, which almost produced the opening goal. Marc Pubill’s effort struck the post, underlining that Diego Simeone’s side had identified a route through which they could hurt Hansi Flick’s team.
Kang-in Lee was a major factor in the problems Barcelona faced, while Cancelo carried much of the defensive burden created by Atletico’s pressure.
The third attack from that side did result in a goal. Cancelo was again caught in a difficult position after choosing the wrong moment to move towards his opponent. Alvarez took advantage, finding Giuliano Simeone, who finished the move to put Atletico Madrid ahead.
Within 10 minutes, the visitors had created three clear chances from the same flank. The issue was not limited to individual errors; Atletico also exploited a broader lack of defensive coordination that had been evident from the beginning of the match.
The reaction immediately after the goal offered a clear indication of Barcelona’s concern. Goalkeeper Joan Garcia went straight to Cancelo, held him and began explaining the mistakes he believed the Portuguese defender had made.
Garcia was attempting to correct Cancelo’s positioning, aware that Atletico had been given too much freedom to attack through that side. Their exchange reflected the extent of the anxiety caused by Barcelona’s start.
Cancelo, whose attacking qualities are considerable, struggled to carry out his defensive responsibilities against an opponent whose attacks had been specifically designed to target his area.
The Portugal international made another mistake in the first half that could have led to Atletico’s second goal. Under pressure from the Madrid side, he lost possession inside the defensive area, allowing the move to develop once again into an effort from Alvarez.
Garcia prevented the Argentina forward from scoring, stopping the shot between his legs, but only after being forced into a difficult save.
