Why do we even bother having the Champions League? Real Madrid is going to win it, because it has been foretold. We can throw every roadblock in front of them we can think of, ones we can't think of, apply any piece of logic possible, and they all melt away whenever Madrid confront them. They are something out of a myth, something that would be remade as a Netflix show that will get canceled after a season. Except it never does. Real Madrid could survive Netflix, such is their unholy power.
What other team, in any other sport, gets this call? Can you see the double touch on Julián Alvarez's penalty? Anywhere? What kind of Zapruder nonsense is this?
Isn't it supposed to be obvious? A clear error? Something everyone can see after one replay? But the rules matter not when it comes to Real Madrid. They win, they advance, they lift the trophy because that's what they do and that's how simple it is. We would do just as well to yell at the sun.
Atlético reverted to type to level this Round of 16 and drag it to extra-time and penalties. Every season, we here that Atlético under Diego Simeone are getting a little more adventurous. They add just a little more attacking quality, they get a little more spicy, they say they're changing their ways. Then, when the chips are down, they become Atlético again.
And it's great. Every sport needs one team that's different. Soccer needs a team like Atlético that thinks it's funny to walk by and take a sip of your beer without asking. That gets a good laugh out of purposely sneezing on your chicken fingers. That farts during any silence in conversation and cackles wildly as they walk away.
Atlético sat deep in a 4-4-2, learning from last week's problems. Connor Gallagher and Giuliano Simeone as the wide midfielders sat right on top of their fullbacks, so no matter how wide Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo tried to stretch them, they were covered. This is the essence of Atlético under Simeone, the antithesis of what everyone else wants to do. They'll defend, they''ll tackle, break them down if you can. There's a unique defiance to them, as the fervent Metropolitano cheers just as loudly for any tackle as it does a goal. They are a the biggest middle finger in the sport in this mode, with Simeone conducting the symphony from the touchline (though that defiance and brashness has obviously led to some issues).
Which can lead to a game where Madrid have 62 percent of the ball, and yet never cause Jan Oblak to make a tough save, even with their attacking array. Their frustration was palpable, which only feeds the cauldron that Atlético can create at home. Their opponents' dejection is their oxygen.
But like Atlético has found out in two Champions League finals, a team can do everything right and it doesn't matter. Maybe Madrid are just perfect for our time. We can argue about what's fair, what's right, what makes sense, what's better, and they just smile, win, and leave us in our bewildered state arguing amongst ourselves. The math doesn't have to add up to anything more than who went through, who lifted the trophy, and it's always them.
The reasoning? The method? That's loser talk. Madrid will get the call, they'll get the mistake, they'll get the opening, because they do. It's just that simple. Even when you think every gap is covered, they'll just make up a new one. When a team has their own endless supply of devil magic, they get their own rules. We argue about the details and the fairness. They just win.