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Actually, difficulty is a very vague concept. To say tough, which team in the Europa League is not tough? The championship is not easy for anyone to compete for the championship and relegation for relegation. So, hardship is sometimes more about the process than the outcome. Some teams, at some stage, have been exposed to strong opponents one after another, almost exhausting themselves, and the worst thing is that their journey has not yet reached the end.
I'd like to start with a negative example. Bayer Leverkusen have just reached the last four after beating strong rivals Stuttgart in the quarter-finals of the German Cup. And look at the teams that are still alive in the German Cup front, none of them can compete with Leverkusen, this is a stadium without Bayern, without Hornets, without Red Bull, and the only Stuttgart on a par with Leverkusen has been eliminated by them. It can be said that in the German Cup, Leverkusen's front is a smooth road, and it is unlikely that it will suffer a setback.
So, it's tough, and for the time being, it's not linked to Bayer Leverkusen, although they also have difficulties. And the really tough team, in La Liga.
A 0:1 game brought to the surface the toughest team in Europe in nearly a month. In the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals, Atletico Madrid lost 0:1 at home to Athletic Bilbao.
At first glance, this result is a bit surprising, but it is not a big deal. But if you're familiar with Atletico's schedule for the last month, you'll find it hard for them to have a tough month. first played a shocking 4:3 with the big dark horse Girona and unfortunately lost to the opponent, and then a vicious battle with Real Madrid in the semifinals of the Spanish Super Cup, was eliminated and missed the final. Then, in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey, they met Real Madrid again and won 4:2. In addition, in the league, they played Real Madrid 1:1.
In just one month, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid actually played three games, such a game density and confrontation intensity, it is difficult to bear it on anyone, right? Many people may think of the 4 matchups between Real Madrid and Barcelona in April 2011, but if you look at how many goals were scored in these 3 matchups between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid, and how intense the scene was?
The focus is on the 5:3 of the semifinals of the Spanish Super Cup, and the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey, both games actually played extra time, the Madrid derby, and it has not been shown in such a high frequency for a long time.
After the baptism of three Madrid derbys, it is conceivable how much Atletico Madrid has consumed. So, Atletico Madrid's 0:1 home defeat to Athletic Bilbao in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey is more or less a bit of a strong end, right?
Is there a feeling that Atletico Madrid is very much like South Korea in the Asian Cup? Although South Korea was complained about by their fans for stopping in the semi-finals, and South Korea was indeed beaten by Jordan in the game, one thing cannot be denied is that among the four teams that reached the semi-finals, South Korea was the toughest. Sixteen into eight, eight into four, South Korea's opponents are Saudi Arabia, Australia, Asia's two top teams, and South Korea played overtime in both games, and even included a penalty shootout. These two games, like the two extra-time matchups between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid?
If you look at Iran, Qatar, and Jordan, they have different processes to reach the final four, but in terms of difficulty index, they are definitely not as good as South Korea.
And South Korea's 0:2 loss to Jordan also feels a bit like the end of the crossbow, which is similar to Atletico Madrid's loss to Bibao. After all, Jordan is not a weak team, and Bibao is a well-known tough bone in La Liga.
The only difference is that South Korea's Asian Cup journey is over, while Atletico still have a chance for the second leg. In fact, judging from the strength of Atletico Madrid and the trend of the Champions League in La Liga, the most likely title they are to win this season is the Copa del Rey. Next, it depends on whether Atletico can turn the difficulty into the motivation for counterattack.