By defeating Real, Atléti might also defeat the idea that reckless spending paves a path to glory. Sadly, however, shorn of Costa and exhausted in the waning minutes, Atléti couldn’t hold out against Real’s relentless assault as goals from Ramos, Bale, Marcelo, and Ronaldo sealed a 10th Champions League title. However, there’s still something in this saga for us to study.
Being an Arsenal fan, I only watch other clubs’ matches to see what I can glean from them as far as tactics to prepare for and players to pursue. In the first case, it’s unlikely that we’ll face either club any time soon, so I can sit back and watch. In the second case, for example, will Benzema convince me that we should sign him? From this match, no. We haven’t really been linked with many other players other than Di María, so, again, I could watch for the pure pleasure of it.
As mentioned above, there were 90 minutes that promised ecstasy…if Atléti could just hold off. It’s not enough to have to battle a squad as stocked with ruthless talent as Real’s; Atléti also had to fight a clock that seemed to never quite stop. To see Ramos nab the equalizer in extra time wasn’t just demoralizing; it was devastating. From there, Atléti never seemed to recover.
However, what’s in it for Arsenal? How do we escape the seemingly unavoidable conclusion that we must spend profligately in order to compete with Man City and Chelsea? After all, each of them has poached from none other than Atléti—Agüero to City and, in all likelihood, Costa to Chelsea. Real, of course, is the gold-standard for what money can buy. If we’re going to close the yawning gap between us and our rivals, we’re going to have to spend like it’s going out of style.
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