To make an antidote, one must use some of the venom to be counteracted. To produce a vaccine, one must administer the virus that is to be eradicated. To survive the ‘Group of Death’ one must play a little of the game that makes the opponent so lethal.
Botafogo did exactly that in order to qualify from a group that many thought was the most difficult in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™. Having edged Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 by “playing together” in true PSG fashion, Botafogo stuck to the same formula in their third outing against Atlético de Madrid.
They needed just a draw to secure top spot in the group, but knew that, even in the worst-case scenario, a loss by up to two goals would still see them advance. Facing Diego Simeone’s side, the Alvinegro relied on a strong, compact defensive system – a hallmark of the Argentine’s approach in Madrid.
“Today we played a really good first half, we controlled the ball in possession exactly as I wanted. We didn’t let Atlético create many opportunities, I don’t remember John making a save in the first half”, noted head coach Renato Paiva.
The Brazilian side capitalised on runs in behind as well as the consistently excellent hold up play of Igor Jesus. At times, the Brazilian forward even evoked memories of Diego Costa’s fierce battles for Atléti.
The way that Igor Jesus fought almost single-handedly against the defenders, drawing fouls, winning balls in the air and holding the ball up seemed to be taken from the handbook of the Atlético legend, who also played for Botafogo. In addition to leading the team forward on the pitch with his control and passing, he also forced Jan Oblak into making a great save in the California clash.
The Alvinegro’s performance earned praise from Simeone himself, who, like Luis Enrique before him, lauded the Brazilian side’s solid defensive display.
“I want to congratulate our opponent, they played really well, with hard work, honesty and courage, and they defended the way they needed to. When you defend well and attack well, you have more chances to win.”
After a solid first half, which featured some of the match’s key scoring opportunities, Botafogo saw the pace of their counter-attack diminish and their opponent started to create some chances. Antoine Griezmann’s entrance also changed the game for Atlético and ended up pushing the Alvinegro back, which did not please Renato Paiva.
“We didn’t have the ball and that led us to drop (our defensive lines) back, without any restriction on my part, but that’s the game. And another thing: we were playing against Atlético de Madrid”, said the head coach.
“It seems like we’re talking about a second division team, but it’s Atlético de Madrid – “only” Atlético de Madrid, and we have to remind ourselves of that. They have very good players in possession, and they have a manager who’s been there for 15 years who has his own style of play”.
Despite the frustration around Botafogo’s performance against Atlético, both Paiva and his group of players know that the primary objective of the group stage was achieved.
“We knew the opponents we had ahead of us, that we were probably in the most difficult group of this Club World Cup and we achieved our objective, which was qualifying for the knockout stage. We’re very happy”, declared defender Danilo Barboza.
“We were prepared for this match, both for Paris Saint-Germain and for Atlético. You guys think that it was a surprise against PSG, but Botafogo were prepared for that”, forward Jefferson Savarino stated.
Against Paris Saint-Germain, the antidote was more psychological than tactical. Remaining on the pitch after the historic match, Renato Paiva said that Botafogo “gave PSG a taste of their own medicine”, noting that the French “play together, they all defend and they all attack”.
That spirit was seen once again against the side from Madrid, mixed with a bit of the formula El Cholo uses to achieve so much success at Atlético.
From PSG’s collective approach to Simeone’s philosophy, Botafogo know they must take this competition “partido a partido” – game by game, as the coach puts it in Spanish. Starting in the round of 16, it’s “kill or be killed” for Botafogo, who, having survived this tough group, are more than prepared for any challenge ahead.
