Europa League Final - Marseille 0-3 Atletico Madrid: 3 key battles that decided the game

#3 Diego Costa vs Adil Rami

Diego Costa might not have gotten onto the scoresheet, but his impact was vital to the game

Look away, Chelsea fans. This is going to hurt.

Costa might not have scored or assisted in the final, but his game was a true showcase of just what the Blues have been missing this season - his ability to draw the defenders towards him and away from the rest of his team.

Whenever there was any space for Griezmann, Koke, Saul and Gabi to exploit, credit had to go to Costa. The Spaniard was a constant nuisance in the opposition box and pulled the Marseille defenders towards him at every possible juncture, giving his team more space to exploit.

To his credit, Adil Rami stayed with Costa for the entire game, but therein lay the mistake - Rami was completely occupied for the entire game buying Costa's decoy, thereby letting Koke and the marauding Lucas Hernandez toy with Sarr.

Costa vs Rami - stats

This is exactly what makes Costa a dangerous striker to play against, in addition to his finishing. Unlike most forwards, Costa is not afraid to get physical with defenders and get into their hands. The result is them focusing too much on him, and losing the bigger picture.