I feel strangely okay with us being out. I've probably been unconciously preparing for it having seen our form drop and drop over the past weeks.
Let's be honest, with our current form the chances of us progressing through the semis to the final would be very low, and all it then would serve us was 180 more minutes of intense matches that could end up zapping what little energy we had left for the Liga and CDR. Not having to play two more intense mid-week games, with the mental and physical drain that it involves for everyone just before the weekened Liga matches, could actually be what ultimately makes us secure the LL title. Don't forget, winning the league is one of the biggest things you can win.
It wasn't meant to be this season. It's hard to win the CL back to back, the team just looks exhausted - and when you're exhausted you need some enormous motivation to push through it. I am sure that if you asked every one of our players whether or not they were motivated to win against Atletico, they would all answer "yes!" without a moments hesitation, but subconciously that "fire" that they all had last season before the treble just isn't there right now. And that's just a fact of life and completely understandable no matter how frustrating it is to us fans.
(The exception might be Suarez, but he's a special case in this regard.
)
Add to this the fact that we are in a big slump with regards to form and synergy between the players, and the result yesterday doesn't come as a surprise. Atletico deservedly went through.
So in short, keep your heads up and be glad we have a team that still is in competition for two major trophies, and who just some months ago gave us the happiness of winning the treble. It could definitely be worse...
What a magical stadium. Last time we've came back with a bang, and it was against Atletico too. I believe in this team.
