Goalless tie in Turkey

The fans displaced to Izmir enjoyed a match that ended with a goalless draw but that gained in intensity and emotion as the minutes went by. The duel had an even first half in which both teams fought to control the ball. Our guys were very solid in defence, and didn’t allow their rival a chance to create danger. Proving once again the defensive reliability of Simeone’s team, which has not conceded any goal in any of the four pre- season matches. In the attack, Koke tried to appear between the lines and from his passes came the best chances. A deep pass to Mandžukić was used by the Croatian to sneak into the box but his shot went wild.

After the restart, the substitutions refreshed our team, which took the field determined to win the game. Ansaldi played his first minutes as an Atlético de Madrid player. The Argentinian tried to be very participative on his sideline, both in defence and to aid the ball’s exit, or to join in the attack. A great play on Turan’s sideline ended in a backward pass from the Ottoman that was prolonged by Koke so Mario could shoot on the go. Muslera, with a great intervention, prevented Atlético’s first goal in the best chance of the match. In the last minutes, Galatasaray pressed in search of the winning goal but Atlético’s defence, dressed in grey today, resolved the locals’ attempts without great troubles.