Giménez and Griezmann key Atlético Madrid's UCL rally past RB ...

Josema Giménez found the net with a looping header in the 90th minute, and Atlético Madrid completed a comeback from 1-0 down to defeat RB Leipzig 2-1 on Thursday night in both teams’ league phase opener in the UEFA Champions League.

Benjamin Šeško had fired the visitors ahead after only four minutes, heading the ball into an open net after compatriot Jan Oblak had saved from a cracking Lois Openda shot. Atlético soon gained control of the match and Antoine Griezmann equalized on 28 minutes, volleying a Marcos Llorente cross off the ground and in past Péter Gulácsi. With time winding down, man of the match Griezmann delivered a dazzling assist for Giménez, crossing with his right foot to the back post as Giménez nestled the ball in over Nicolas Seiwald’s aerial challenge.

The number of games in between Champions League goals for Giménez, who last found the net in Europe during a 1-1 draw against Lokomotiv Moscow on Nov. 3, 2020.

After Thursday's game, DAZN journalist Fran Guillén called Giménez the “perfect allegory” for Atlético de Madrid, in both a good and bad sense. Giménez’s frequent injuries over the years have frustrated everyone — but Diego Simeone has never seen a reason to jettison the Uruguayan, whose aggression, bravery, and leadership are vital elements to Atlético’s defense.

Giménez has been healthy so far this season and probably benefited from a three-game suspension from international fixtures that prevented him from joining Uruguay over the recent FIFA break. In a battling display Thursday night, Josema made a game-high 10 recoveries and won a game-high five aerial duels while adding in five clearances and three ground duels won. A rare goal was the perfect way to cap this authoritative display from Simeone’s third captain.

As a bit of an aside, as well as Giménez played Thursday, Reinildo arguably might have been even better in a surprise start. The Mozambican probably could have done more to close down Openda on the Leipzig goal, but he sure made up for it and put together a commanding display to Giménez’s left. Reinildo was a perfect 8-for-8 in duels, winning six on the ground and eight in the air, and he led all players with three tackles won while completing 71 of his 76 passes.

The number of minutes that Atlético loanee Arthur Vermeeren played prior to his substitution.

I was really interested to see how this would go. Thursday night marked Vermeeren’s first start for his new club; he had played only 27 minutes across two substitute appearances since joining RB Leipzig three weeks ago. In short: the teenager looked “green” and appeared to suffer a bit from a lack of experience at this level.

“We can see that he wants to recover the ball, he sees where there are spaces, he is a strategist,” head coach Marco Rose said Thursday night. “Not everything worked, but it wasn’t just him, there were other factors. It was a solid game on his part.”

Vermeeren made plenty of crisp short passes when on the ball, but Rodrigo de Paul caught him in possession just outside the Leipzig penalty area on 25 minutes, creating a big chance for Correa (and from the ensuing corner, Correa smacked the post). Atlético equalized three minutes later. De Paul and Koke got in the 19-year-old’s face during stoppages, giving him a crash-course on the intensity of the Champions League.

In all probability, Vermeeren will complete a permanent move to Leipzig next year, and the Bundesliga is a good place for him to develop into the controlling #6 that some see for him. But he needs more time, and the minutes Atlético could not give him, in order to reach that potential. Thursday was another lesson in that regard.

The number of consecutive home wins Atlético have secured in Champions League play — a first in club history.

I’ve seen it mentioned that the seven-year-old Metropolitano has yet to replicate the Vicente Calderón’s fear factor, that it hasn’t had the “magic nights” that the old stadium had, especially under Simeone. I would argue that even in a down year in 2023/24, the Metropolitano actually solidified itself as a European fortress; Real Madrid lost its two visits there, and I have never been in a louder stadium than I was on March 13, when Atlético eliminated 2023 runners-up Inter Milan in a dramatic penalty shootout.

It’s true that Atlético’s 57 percent win rate at the Metropolitano in the Champions League pales in comparison to Los Rojiblancos’ 78.3 winning percentage under Simeone at the Calderón in this same competition. But 11 successive European opponents have come and gone without winning at this ground, and the fans once again played a significant role Thursday night in steering Atleti over the finish line.

“The fans were spectacular, we try to give back everything they bring to us so that things go the way they go for us at home,” Simeone said post-match.