It was stalemate at the Vicente Calderon last night as co-leaders Atletico and Barcelona fought out a nil-nil draw in front of a vociferous crowd. Some nil nil draws can be boring fare but this had excitement and flair, it was like a game of chess being played out by grandmasters Diego Simeone and Tata Martino. Barcelona boss Martino surprised many pundits, myself included, by leaving both Neymar and the back from injury Messi on the bench. This news seemed to galvanise Atletico and it was they who took the game to Barca in the early stages. Atleti's Turkish winger Arda was pulling the … [Read more...]