For all Jose Mourinho’s perceived arrogance, he certainly wasn’t putting Chelsea’s 0-0 draw against Atletico Madrid in the kind of terms others were. He wasn’t going anywhere near calling it a “tactical masterclass”.
In fact, he acknowledged Chelsea did not achieve the objective they set out for, which is something of a pre-requisite for that kind of praise. He actually admitted Atletico forced them to change their tactics.
“We don't start the game thinking of a 0-0,” Mourinho said. “But the game goes in a certain direction where you feel you have to be safe, don't concede and try to score in one of the few chances you create. We had three or four corners, two free-kicks in dangerous situations. If we score one goal in one of those situations the result would be very good. We didn't.”
Those last two words are pretty much the point. A tactical masterclass means getting every aspect of your strategy right and succeeding at both ends, which is precisely what Chelsea did in their home games against Arsenal and Liverpool this season and - most impressively - in the away victory at Manchester City.
Mourinho’s defence was impermeable and his attack impressively intense, with the transitions between the two devastatingly swift - especially in the Arsenal game. In the City match, meanwhile, they completely reduced the effect of an arguably more talented team.
That is another aspect of a masterclass, and the question is whether it was quite the case here.
Because, while Atletico are undeniably one of the most impressive teams in Europe, that is not necessarily due to their inherent quality. They are a side far greater than the sum of their parts, brought together by a manager in Mourinho’s build. The Portuguese has managed that through intense counter-attacking, which made Chelsea’s decision to be quite so defensive rather odd.
While that approach would have been totally understandable against either Barcelona or Bayern Munich, given the quality they have to absolutely maximise even a minimum of space, it arguably showed Atletico too much respect while removing Chelsea’s threat.
It may also play into Simeone’s hands. Because, without an away goal, Chelsea now simply have to win the second leg if they are to qualify without penalties.
That will require greater risk, and thereby more space in behind, of the type that genuinely suits Atletico’s game. In that context, despite the supreme stats of Mourinho’s Stamford Bridge record, it’s difficult not to see Simeone’s team scoring. It was what they managed at Camp Nou.
For those that point to the Paris-Saint Germain second leg, too, the reality is that Laurent Blanc is no Simeone.
Far from a tactical masterclass, this first leg may actually require one from Mourinho in the second leg.