Luis Núñez-Villavearán
Updated Monday, April 1, 2024-23:07
One cannot fail to appreciate
Simeone
's efforts to find the long-awaited stability away from home. Which, as he has stated on multiple occasions, is his "responsibility." The coach moves the eleven and tries things that he, perhaps, would never have opted for at the beginning of the season. And in the end things work out. [Narrative and Statistics, 1-2]
In this duel against Villarreal, the
Riquelme
-
Lino
duo as starters was the result of
Cholo
's laboratory . I usually replace each other, this Monday they started together, unfortunately for the yellow submarine. The young people complement each other better than was assumed and they showed it.
If the first was from Lino after a wonderful pass from
Griezmann
responded with mastery by Jorgensen, the second, in fact from the same corner that the Swedish goalkeeper conceded, was from the youth team. Riquelme put it in from the angle so that
Witsel
, at the near post, invented a foreshortened header that ended up in the corner of the yellow goal. Great goal from the Belgian, the second since he became red and white and, once again, he kissed the sky.
Witsel celebrating his goal with his fingers to the sky.ANDREU ESTEBANEFE
The duo, this time allied with
Memphis
, continued to do their thing against a defense, the yellow one, that did not expect the mobility of the red-and-white attack. On this occasion, the three combined in a great play through the lane of the 10 that ended weakly and in the center for the nine.
Atlético had taken advantage of the break to breathe, to relax, to recharge energy and to wipe the slate clean after the tough defeat suffered against Barça in their stadium, the first of this season at home. The colchoneros also took advantage of a very physical eleven and with a recovered
Griezmann
.
The Frenchman seemed to be playing with Harry Potter
's invisibility cloak
...and perhaps his wand too. Every touch from the Frenchman improved the red and white plays and, sometimes, he left his teammates alone. That magic had been greatly missed by Atlético in the last duels in which they tied against Almería, won by the minimum against Betis and lost against Cádiz. Maybe also in the half against Barça, the ankle was still tender.
The match started red and white until
Giménez
slapped
Mosquera
in the area. Penalties have been called for less. The slap seemed to be given to his teammates who backed down and began to concede meters to Villarreal and the yellow 'Griezmann'.
Gerard Moreno
began directing the submarine's operations and the team grew with him. His was the clearest of the first half, after a header from
Sorloth
, but he went ahead.
He handled the submarine, but without seriously threatening
Oblak
. In fact, perhaps the most dangerous thing was two lashes from Riquelme that narrowly missed the mark. Also a counterattack in which the Spaniard lacked mischief and allowed
Mandi to swipe the ball with the tip of his boot when he was already facing
Jorgensen
's frame
.
This Villarreal in the first half did not seem like the team that has been reborn at the hands of Marcelino and that had four consecutive victories and nine games without losing. Simeone removed
Riquelme
for
Savic
at half-time
and seemed to give the signal to the yellows to attack. In the first minute of the second half, a tackle by
Gerard Moreno
on that wing almost ended in a Chilean goal from
Coquelin
.
Sorloth, after scoring against Atlético.JOSE JORDANAFP
The goal would come in the next yellow approach after a loss by
Griezmann
in his own half. Quick combination between
Capoue
,
Gerard
and
Sorloth
, and the Norwegian hit a whip almost without being able to arm his leg from the edge of the area. Atlético paid for his change of attitude too soon.
Triple change by Cholo and warning to sailors, the tie is not worth it.
Morata
and
Correa
gave another breath to the colchoneros, but when the transatlantic slows down, it is difficult to get back to speed and the game lost some intensity. There were isolated actions by
Morata, Barrios
,
Parejo
, but no team ended up breaking ahead.
Until
Saúl
appeared to break the tables. The most unexpected, with a controversial celebration on the bench. First goal of the season. The one that puts Atlético fourth before Dortmund. Almost nothing.