Atlético de Madrid 2-Rayo Vallecano 0 | Correa strikes Lightning

In the new year, LaLiga new. The one that Atleti, and the Metropolitan, needed so much, after four defeats in a row that drowned, a victory clinging to the old, which never fails. Correa’s pasture football, the Carrasco class that returned from China, without strange disconnections behind, without holes in Oblak’s gloves at the first shot, with the shouts of the Cholo sneaking through the sound of television as if he were just another commentator. “Dale Correa, daleee”. In a game conditioned, like so many others this January 2, by COVID, the coach was able to sit on the bench (“his infection case resolved”). Iraola, meanwhile, lined up his players with more training sessions. That’s why Luca Zidane was in goal and not Dimitrievski, that’s why Trejo and Álvaro were on the bench. If he pretended that the casualties did not change his style or philosophy, direct play, bands, it did not come out at all. Opposite Atleti began the new year with many injuries, four defeats, vital casualties (Koke, Griezmann, João) and hugging tightly to what once did not fail, 4-4-2, a less brilliant but rockier Atleti.

The nerves of the field (which cheered Falcao, on the bench, since his name was first heard on the loudspeakers) were all matchstick on the bench del Cholo who at six minutes saw the first yellow of the game before his eyes: it was for him, for his exaggerated protest at a balliu tackle on Lemar without punishment. Matchstick skin. On Carrasco’s back, a dagger on the right, the high pressure of Rayo was ripped off and the field was overturned towards Luca Zidane’s goal. Nothing happened in the areas, except an error in the departure of Luca Zidane that almost gave a free ball to Suárez. Unai López destroyed before the Uruguayan took the tie off the gift. Iraola missed Álvaro and Trejo terribly in the bands, because Isi was there, but as if not. Atlético dominated but did not create, they could not find paths for their forwards. Suárez failed another one of those that never used to fail, alone, hand in hand against Luca Zidane, after another gift from Rayo at the start. But he kicked the ball out. His crisis in the goal (one in 12 games) is the crisis of Cholo. Or not. Because when the afternoon got difficult, the runrún, the four defeats in the throat, there appeared his particular Señor Lobo: “I am Ángel Correa, I solve problems.”

The other striker from last LaLiga scoffed at De Paul and Carrasco and between the three of them they changed the afternoon. The play was invented by De Paul, the beginning of everything, flawless. He seemed locked up but no, he wasn’t. With skill and quality he hid the ball to enable a Carrasco who dribbled on a blade in the baseline, with a back pass and heel break looking for a finisher. The end was Correa who, all streets, took advantage of the noise and stole the ball from Comesaña on the ground to send it to the net. 1-0. The Lightning vanished. Static, away from theft, erratic with the ball and in compromised areas. Oblak could have been and not. Giménez could have returned and no. Trippier could have already been flying to England. Back Atleti lived an afternoon like one of those that he no longer remembered. Out of work, placid.

The second part started with Isi in the shower and Andrés in the field. Iraola, without the coat with which he had started, ordered his players to take three steps forward, for that reason to appear. But Correa continued his business. Because the lack of Griezmann returned him to his place, lost, perhaps, unfairly. And neither was João, due to COVID. And Correa, who does not complain, assumes, but with him Atleti was not only champion of the League, it flows. To stop those steps forward, Rayo now teamed up with a Lodi in Brazilian lateral mode.. Assist and goal.

It was then that Iraolla decided to introduce Baby and Trejo. And Oblak and his defense started coming out late in the plays. But Simeone answered. If his team had momentarily returned to 5-3-3, the steps back brought him back to 4-4-2. Carrasco was stamping a ball on the wood before Suárez left saddened, he fought without a prize, Cunha entered and the Metropolitan was undone. A legend took off his tracksuit in the band, Falcao left for Rayo and the rojiblanca fans showed the best of the plates: his affection, his infinite applause. There was no claw. The game continued placid, with Kondogbia huge in his position, and Simeone disappointed on TV but with his smile recovered. Like the Metropolitan.