Atlético had to finish the job

Atlético could not win at the Ciutat de Valencia, a stadium where it tends to have a bad time. The leader adds one more point of distance with his pursuers but in his account he entered the three. The Madrid team had many chances, but failed in the auction. If in other games he was very successful in front of goal, against Levante it was not like that. Llorente played a great game and Correa missed an empty goal as soon as the second half began, which could have been 1-2. Levante resisted the rojiblancas onslaught, it came out very little but when it did it brought danger. Oblak reached a miraculous hand within Clerc's shot in the final moments.

Atlético played one of the best first forty-five minutes of the season, but that was not enough to give them an advantage at halftime. Simeone's men had control, possession, the ball and chances. Knowing the leader of the importance of the meeting, he left determined to take the victory. On many occasions the Madrid team has been criticized for its staging of the matches. On this occasion, nothing to object to. Only that football is as capricious as it was in the first half of the Ciutat. Levante knew how to close and took advantage of their outings against. He had a clear and scored a goal in a very fast transition between De Frutos and Bardhi. The Cholo men were behind on the scoreboard and they must have looked incredulous. Roger was able to make it 0-2 in the other arrival of Levante in the first half. It would have been too much punishment for the rojiblancos. De Frutos, on the right, and Morales, on the left, were more concerned initially with closing ranks than attacking. Although the Granota team was clear: take advantage of any concession from Atlético.

From the conceded goal, Atlético put one more march to the clash and cornered Levante, increasingly stuck in their area. Correa and Saúl were able to score, in a beautiful counterattack play from the visiting team. The fortune that he had not had before smiled at Atlético in the goal. But Llorente must carry in his head the first rule that one is taught in prebenjamines: you have to shoot. And he fired, with the luck that the rejection was deflected by a rival. But if you don't shoot … The man from Madrid is on fire, and he tried again and again to overflow the right wing.

In the last ten minutes, Atlético was a gale and Aitor multiplied. The local team was hurt by the tie and the best thing for the locals was the arrival of rest. The second half began with a somewhat more stretched Levante, with more desire to go to Oblak's goal. However, the clearest chance of the game and of LaLiga was for Correa, who sent high to an empty goal after rejecting the Levante goalkeeper a low shot from Luis Suárez. They all put their hands to their heads before that failure. Simeone had retired Vrsaljko to enter Kondogbia in the middle, so Marcos Llorente delayed his position. That was not an impediment for the Madrilenian to continue causing danger for his band, although the centrals of the Granota team were very attentive in the crosses. Levante followed his own and his thing was to arrive very little, but with a lot of danger. Oblak had to work hard against a shot from Clerc.

João Félix entered the field with time ahead to do his thing, although it was through Marcos Llorente's band that the team continued to carry the game. The rojiblanco tried again in the 66th minute, this time with his left foot and the ball did not enter by a miracle. Another wash from Madrid hit his center on the crossbar. Every time Marcos Llorente touched the ball, he was synonymous with danger. A third attempt on a wall with Correa meant a center that Luis Suárez was about to take advantage of.

Simeone put Vitolo and Torreira into the fray in the absence of ten minutes for the tired Koke and Correa. Paco López also took away his most offensive players in search of lungs, fresh air. The minutes went by with Atlético overturned and with Levante defending itself with order, perhaps thinking that the worst was over. Levante had their best chance with two minutes to go with a fantastic shot from Clerc and a save below Oblak. Atlético took a point. He was looking for all three and could not round off an afternoon that could be round.