Atlético wins in Valladolid for its greatest punch
A win for the colchoneros (2-5) to continue fighting for the runner-up
MADRID, 30 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Atlético de Madrid won Real Valladolid 2-5 this Sunday in a match corresponding to matchday 32 of LaLiga Santander and where the colchoneros relaxed in the second half, coming to feel overwhelmed by a rival without reward for their perseverance , sentenced with an own goal at the end.
At the José Zorrilla Municipal Stadium, Atlético was rushing its chances of stalking second place in the league, although Real Madrid’s victory against UD Almería (4-2) the day before had dampened that goal. Opposite, Valladolid was looking to score to get as far away as possible from a relegation that is already hot at this time of the calendar.
And in these antagonistic dynamics, Diego Pablo Simeone’s pupils started with greater success. After more than a quarter of an hour without too many scares for both goalkeepers, Josema Giménez pumped a long ball from his position in the visitor’s defense so that Nahuel Molina remembered the best version of him in the last World Cup in Qatar.
Running away from his marker on his right wing, Molina beat his opponents’ backs to stand alone in front of the goalkeeper; he ‘punctured’ the ball with quality and defined below Jordi Masip. A few minutes later, Giménez went from assistant to scorer with an accurate header, ahead of Masip, in a free kick taken by Antoine Griezmann.
Griezmann himself gave Álvaro Morata the 0-3 lead in the 38th minute, following a ball passed by Rodrigo de Paul to the end line. The French striker took advantage of Morata’s poor control to return the ball to him, finishing off at will what at that time seemed like an almost military walk for ‘Cholo’ Simeone.
However, Valladolid revived with the 1-3 just before the break. It was the work of Canadian Cyle Larin, transforming a penalty that Mario Hermoso had committed with a bump on the head of Gonzalo Plata. Without showing excessive offensive work, suddenly the local team was still immersed in the fight.
Not surprisingly, when they returned from the locker room, Paulo Pezzolano’s pupils showed a totally different face and pressed on beautifully. Sergio Escudero was the author of the 2-3 lead in minute 74′, connecting a beautiful header to the squad after a corner kick, unstoppable for Ivo Grbic who for the second consecutive game replaced Jan Oblak.
The Croatian goalkeeper had a busy second half, but his teammates calmed him down with a 4-2 lead late on. After a struggle over a divided ball, Memphis Depay took that duel to pass Ángel Correa, who in his assist attempt to the back saw Joaquín Fernández put the ball into his goal.
The ‘little hand’ was closed through Memphis himself, thanks to a solo gallop in a counterattack. The former Barça player grabbed the ball in the mattress field and in his run he reached the rival area, favored by the jerk he gave Joaquín Fernández while he was chasing him. Thus, Memphis dribbled past the central Jawad El Yamiq and scored a goal.
That caracoleo before passing Masip made it clear that Memphis has returned in good shape from his recent injury, just in time for Atlético to take advantage of his qualities in the fight for the runner-up. Now with 66 points, the ‘Cholo’ team has third place well tied up and continues to trail behind a Madrid that has more battles ahead.
DATASHEET.
–RESULT: REAL VALLADOLID, 2 – ATLÉTICO DE MADRID, 5 (1-3, at halftime).
–LINEUPS:
REAL VALLADOLID: Masip; Luis Pérez, Fernández, Hongla (Plano, min.88), El Yamiq, Fresneda (Escudero, min.60); Monchu, Aguado, Kike Pérez (Sánchez, min.60); Silver (León, min.73) and Larin.
ATHLETIC MADRID: Grbic; Molina, Giménez, Witsel, Hermoso, Carrasco (Memphis, min.79); De Paul, Koke (Saúl, min.79), Lemar (Kondogbia, min.67); Morata (Correa, min.64) and Griezmann.
–GOALS:
0-1, min.20: Molina.
0-2, min. 24: Giménez.
0-3, min.38: Morata.
1-3, min.42: Learning (p).
2-3, min. 74: Escudero.
2-4, min. 86: Fernández (pp).
2-5, min.90+3: Memphis.
–REFEREE: Mateu Lahoz (C.Valenciano). He yellow carded Monchu (min.9) and Kike Pérez (min.44) at Real Valladolid; already Beautiful (min.40) at Atlético de Madrid.
–STADIUM: José Zorrilla, 23,321 spectators.