Marcelino Garcia Toral came bounding down the steps like an excited schoolboy when the bell goes. He flew past the substitutes and staff, skidded left, and sprinted up the line all wide-eyed and excited, shaking his fists and beaming. He had gone 15 or 20 metres, maybe 25 when he realised just a fraction later than everyone else that something had gone wrong again.
Again, it could be straight after we got 1-0 that we could have scored the second. We had the same situation against Brentford in the Premier League. There we missed but we could keep the clean sheet so we won the game. Strasbourg have very good, quick players, we knew it and ok you can concede the equaliser but then we have the next empty net we are missing.
Al-Ahli started strong in the first half, and kept their hosts under early pressure, with Marek Rodak making saves to deny Galeno, Ivan Toney and Franck Kessie. They came closest to taking the lead in the 35th minute through Merih Demiral as he rose highest to meet Alvaro Medran's corner, but his effort struck the top of the goal frame. Just moments later, Georginio Wijnaldum had a glorious opportunity to score after being played in behind, but he skewed his shot well wide of the far post.
Diego Simeone's side were made to pay for a glut of missed opportunities in the contest, with their profligacy in the final third leaving them 14th in the standings. Atletico hit the front in the seventh minute through Giuliano Simeone, who rode Moussa Diarra's challenge inside the box before sending a left-footed effort into the roof of the net. But Alaves restored parity six minutes later after Alexander Sorloth fouled Nahuel Tenaglia, with Carlos Vicente stepping up to dispatch the resulting penalty past Jan Oblak's dive.
