One factor that makes Atletico Madrid hard to beat is Jan Oblak presence under the crossbar. The 24-year-old Slovenia goalkeeper even often makes the opposing players feel frustrated by his toughness in guarding the goal.
Oblak greatness has been recognized in the La Liga. Trofeo Ricardo Zamora from the last two seasons he won was a real testament. He grabbed it because he deserved it.
This 2017/18 season is his fourth season in Atletico uniform. The statistics in La Liga are amazing.
In 86 appearances so far, Oblak has gained 50 clean sheets (matches without conceding) and just conceded 49.
Jan Oblak in La Liga
Appearance: 86
Conceded: 49
Match without conceding: 50
Yellow card: 3
Red card: 0.
Jan Oblak statistic in La Liga (c) Transfermarkt
Oblak was the best goalkeeper in the Portuguese Primeira Liga 2013/14 season, Atletico recruited from Benfica for € 16 million in July 2014. At that time, he became the most expensive goalkeeper in La Liga history.
Oblak was projected to be a substitute for Thibaut Courtois who returned to Chelsea. When presented as a new Atletico player, Oblak said: "I have come not to replace anyone, I came as another player."
"I will do everything to defend this uniform, I will do everything I can to help the team."
Oblak proves it. Slowly but surely, he developed an art that is now synonymous with him - the art of frustrating the opponent with great saving below the goal.
In the beginning, Oblak was just a backup for Miguel Angel Moya, who was recruited from Getafe a month earlier. But the injury suffered by the Spanish goalkeeper against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League changed everything. Oblak seized the place of Moya and made his senior just played matches in Copa del Rey.
But Oblak indeed deserved to be the main goalkeeper. His toughness as the last bastion of Atletico increased in the 2015/16 season, where he won Trofeo Zamora after conceding only 18 goals in 38 La Liga matches - equaling Francisco Liano (Deportivo La Coruna) record for 22 years.
In Slovenian national team, he was also out of the shadow of Samir Handanovic who retired at the end of 2015.
The following season, the award for a goalkeeper with the lowest goals-to-games ratio in La Liga was falling again into Oblak's hands. Then the Spanish media dubbed him ' Jan Zamora '.
It is not easy to steal goals from Oblak. Players like Neymar, Luis Suarez to Karim Benzema have just scored a goal against Oblak in several matches.
So far, only four players have scored more than one goal against Oblak in La Liga. The top two are Lionel Messi from Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo from rivals Real Madrid.
Goal vs Jan Oblak in La Liga
4 - Lionel Messi (5 matches)
3 - Cristiano Ronaldo (4 matches)
2 - Roberto Soriano (2 matches)
2 - Cristhian Stuani (1 matches).
With his prowess as a goalkeeper, Oblak is like having mastered the art of frustrating the opponent. The last player frustrated by him was Nabil El Zhar.
Atletico against the host Leganes on Jornada 7 La Liga 2017/18. Atletico could only grab draw 0-0 and failed to bring home maximum points.. But one point itself deserves to be grateful for them.
Atletico could have lost. Oblak who prevent them from defeat. Three shots on target, all by El Zhar, were successfully broken by Oblak with his heroic action.
That was the 50th clean sheet of Oblak in La Liga.
Leganes was frustrated by him. But they didn't need to worry because they were not the first and the only one. Many others already feel the same.
On April 27, 2016, at Vicente Calderon Stadium, for the 11th time this season, was full. About 54 thousands of Atletico Madrid supporters filled the Stadium on the lips of the river Manzanares.
The match entered the 11th minute when a goal was created. Not Antonie Griezmann or Fernando Torres, but the 21 years player with number 17, Saul Niguez.
Receiving the gastric ball in the middle of the field, Saul controlled the ball perfectly. Thiago Alcantara overshadowed Saul, who carried the ball toward the sidelines.
Instead of waiting for Juanfran up to help the attack, Saul was dribbling the ball pierced the left side of Munich defense, breaking away from Thiago's custody and also pass through obstacles of Juan Bernat and Xabi Alonso.
Saul was now dealing with David Alaba. He then fired a left-foot kick. The ball curved sliding towards the goalpost. Arturo Vidal sliding to block the shot was too late.
Manuel Neuer, although already stretched, unable to reach the ball. Created the only goal in the match. A goal that brought Atletico Madrid beat Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-final the first match of 2015/2016 (28/4).
In the Champions League this season Saul Niguez played in all Los Rojiblancos matches. He scored 3 goals and 2 assists.
One gorgeous assist he has made in the 2nd leg of the quarter-final match against Barcelona. With his back left leg, Saul was releasing crossing from the left side of the Barca defense to be headed by Griezmann that managed to find the net of Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.
Griezmann goal was very important because it gave the advantage for Atletico that lost 2-1 in the first leg. The match was eventually won by Atletico 2-0 after Griezmann scored the second goal at the end of the match through a penalty.
Diego Simeone also gives great confidence in Saul Niguez in La Liga this season. Players who born November 21th, 1994 was playing in the 29 games of Atletico Madrid, 24 of which he played as a starter. Los Rojiblancos are now competing with Barca and Madrid in the La Liga title race.
Saul Niguez started his professional career with Atletico Madrid B in 2010. He had several times to strengthen the first team before being loaned to Rayo Vallecano a full season in the 2013/2014 season.
Saul returned to Atletico Madrid in the 2014/2015 season. At that time, he became a coating line of Atletico midfielder that still reinforced by Arda Turan (now Barcelona) and Mario Suarez (Fiorentina). In 38 La Liga matches that season Saul only played 9 times as core players.
This season Saul Niguez be one important element of Atletico Madrid for chasing the trophy in La Liga and Champions League. It is possible that it will make Vicente Del Bosque called him to strengthen Spain in the European Cup 2016. Saul has not even posted caps with the senior national team.
Diego Simeone long ago been fenced Saul of the target of other clubs. In an interview, Simeone said, "A departure for him (Saul Niguez) seems hasty to me Because he's young and, in order for him to keep improving, there's nowhere better than home - the which is Atletico."
Saul Niguez is undergoing a remarkable season with Atletico Madrid. Talked about where he will be docked next season, or compare his performance with other players, like Messi, for example, actually premature.
More interesting to see his contribution to Atletico Madrid in a few games remaining. La Liga champions? Qualify for the Champions League final? Both? Or neither?
One important reason why the Roman Empire became a great history milestone because their capital city was located in Constantinople. For centuries, the town that lies between the two continents, Asia and Europe, becoming one of the main reasons why the Romans could be in power for hundreds of years.
When the ancient Roman Empire under the reign of Constantine I built the city of Constantinople from zero, one thought was how to keep this city, which will become the capital of the country, should have a layered defense that can not be penetrated by the enemy of all sectors.
The project was initiated by Emperor Constantine I who took the initiative to build a great wall that stretched surrounding the city. And this was not the first layer of defense wall, even inside the city, they had a pretty strong fortress.
The second project was continued by Emperor Theodosius, who built Theodosian wall that stretches 1.2 miles (two kilometers) to the west of the first wall being built surrounding the city.
Amazingly, Theodosian wall built with multiple systems. Two layers. And to add to the impression of fierce, in every wall, stationed thousands of troops to guard the town. Three layers of the wall with thousands of guards at each layer. An impregnable fortress.
It became a fairness why Roman Emperor in each of its time so eager to build a formidable fortress to protect the city. In addition to being the strategic trade route, because it was located on the road from Europe to Asia, Constantinople also become the world's maritime lanes were so crowded at that time.
It was a city built on seven hills (can look at the history of ancient Latin in the narrative Remus-Romulus), located in the path between the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. With all access to such a potential, the construction of layered walls to protect the city was a natural thing.
The wall was not just a mere symbol for Constantinople, but also become an important defense base that makes Constantinople into a magnificent city, wealthy and difficult to penetrate.
Throughout the history of the Roman Empire (or Byzantine) in Constantinople, the city only twice could be penetrated. First, when the Templars Knights from Latin armies of the Fourth Crusade came to loot Constantinople.
Looting Constantinople was also being an important historical record for being the first milestone of a dispute between the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church in Rome.
And 200 years later, then the city was re-penetrated by the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Sultan Mehmed II, who later unanimously to rename Constantinople (which smelled Christians) into Islambol. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk then refined it into Istanbul, as we know it today.
Narrative of Constantinople at the top will be a short introduction to invite you to compare a great story one of the most important cities with a strong history in Europe and the world with a lunge of Diego Simeone with Atletico Madrid this season (also a previous season).
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Since Diego Simeone came to Madrid five years ago, Atletico Madrid had recorded 135 clean sheets in 256 matches. If our mathematical sciences are not wrong, the ratio of Atletico's clean sheet since handled by Cholo nickname of Simeone is above 50%, man!
A Note that was incredibly special considering they are in a league that for many years monopolized by Real Madrid and Barcelona.
One proof of a great coach when he can implement a philosophy which he believes is right for his team. Louis van Gaal with a mastery of the ball at Manchester United, Pep Guardiola with his juego do posicion at Bayern Munich and Barcelona until Arsene Wenger with his Wengerball at Arsenal.
Cholo has his own philosophy. Let's take a step back in time when the coach dapper still competed as a professional player.
Simeone was a defensive midfielder with spartan spirit and did not hesitate to play hard. He was also a player with the characteristics of cunning and very provocative. David Beckham could be asked specifically about this testimony.
Some characteristics of his playing style as a player, he applied to be a right philosophy at Atletico for five years. Los Rojiblancos transformed into spartan and strong team. Very tactical and tight. Not infrequently, they are willing to play dirty.
You remember the incident Arda Turan took off his shoes and threw them to the line judge against Barcelona last season in the Copa Del Rey? Or hard tackle of Gabi, Tiago Mendes until Diego Godin every time they met the nobles of Real Madrid and Barcelona? It is a form of Atleti under Simeone.
Atletico is great because they are in the right hands with the brilliant concoction of the formation. Simeone makes people aware again of the presence of the classic 4-4-2 formation when delivered his foster children damaging hegemony of Barca and Madrid in the Spanish league season 2013/2014.
He did not revive the 4-4-2, but he made the public aware that the classic formation that considered obsolete are still able to produce titles if executed with the right dose and play the right way.
Probably, this is just speculation, what is applied Leicester City under coach Claudio Ranieri this season, absorbing from what is shown by an Argentinean man born in Buenos Aires Argentina at Atleti. Leicester is very tight, its compactness awake and playing with the same formation, classic 4-4-2.
Accidental? Maybe. But whatever it was, The Cinderella Club is preparing to embrace the titles in the next few weeks. And it is a solid fact.
Remarkably, the wall built by Simeone with Atleti resumed along this season. As the data, from the 35 games that have been undertaken in the league, the team's neighbors Real Madrid won by clean sheets record 22 times. And during 35 games of that, they only conceded 16 times.
The note can be more perfect considering in this season, in all competitions which they follow, Los Colchoneros never lost by more than one goal. Proof that this team is the team with the best defense in Europe this season.
And without reason then they are coupled with Barcelona at the top of La Liga this time with 82 points, only to lose head to head refers to the record of the meeting between the two teams in the League.
This is a series of statistics which showed that Atletico under a coach named Diego Pablo Simeone Gonzalez is one team that very decent to win the Champions League this season.
Simeone builds a team with a very strong-lined fortress and sturdiness. He built a new Constantinople in the image of the football team.
Uniquely, Atletico's defend style never be boring, because many educative things can be learned. Pressing trap, for example, this strategy is often used Simeone when met with teams that occupied many opposing players with qualified technical quality.
European Champions League quarter-final against Barcelona this season was proof of the efficacy of this tactic. Two of the world's best midfielder, Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta made powerless.
In the second leg, the front-line trio of aliens in Barcelona even trouble opened fire into Jan Oblak goalpost. Still not enough?
If you have plenty of time, you may watch the expression of Pep Guardiola when Bayern Munich was frustrated when penetrated layered walls of Atletico that was not only solid but also tactical on Thursday morning (28/4).
Like the Constantinople, Atleti also had been penetrated and dominated by opponents. The final of Champions League 2013/2014 season was the obvious example.
One "buzzer beater" goal Sergio Ramos to the Thibaut Courtois goalpost thwart Atleti dream to reach trophy. Not quite up there, three goals in extra time immersed team based at the Vicente Calderon on a bitter defeat.
And like Constantinople, Atleti undergo restoration. He rose, along with Simeone. Make more formidable fortress again. Build a war fleet sharper longer, and most important, layering their defense with walls that more solid again.
This time, perhaps, they will prevail. Not only in Spain but also Europe, even the world.
