Gabi Nunes puts Levante in the final with extra time
1-3 of the 'granotas' against an irregular Atlético de Madrid
MADRID, 16 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Levante UD beat Atlético de Madrid 1-3 this Tuesday, with a double in extra time from Brazilian forward Gabi Nunes, and thanks to this they qualified for the final of the Spanish Super Cup, which is being played in Leganés ( Madrid).
At the Municipal Stadium of Butarque, Levante started harder and took advantage early, thanks to a penalty committed by Andrea Medina in a tackle by Mayra Ramírez, on the right side of the 'granota' attack, when the 5th minute was still running.
Neither Ainara Acevedo Dudley nor her line judge saw anything punishable in the first instance. But the referee corrected her decision after reviewing it in the VAR and Ángela Sosa took charge, with determination, of opening the scoring. Atlético reacted thanks to Leicy Santos, after a quarter of an hour, with a high shot after Gaby García recovered in three quarters.
Another shot by Ainhoa Moraza, into the clouds and coming from a corner, was the prelude to the tie for the colchoneras (min.21). Leicy Santos controlled the ball at the height of the central circle and advanced several meters, without excessive 'granota' pressure, and opened on the left side for Rasheedat Ajibade to uncheck behind Antonia Silva.
The Nigerian forward tamed that pass with her right thigh and, as soon as the ball fell to the grass, she soon hit a right-footed volley that entered the rival goal next to the post. Spurred on by that goal, Ajibade almost made it 2-1 after a long pass into the gap left by Antonia, which her teammate Nuria Mendoza amended with a clearance under the sticks.
At half an hour, Medina blocked a powerful shot by Ramírez inside the area and a couple of minutes later Levante had another clear chance, in the boots of Paula Fernández in a corner kick and well positioned behind Gaby García; but Lola Gallardo, attentive to the situation, thwarted the launch of the Levantine '6'.
The team coached by José Luis Sánchez Vera continued looking for Gallardo's goal, especially through Ramírez from the right wing and forcing corner kicks that, on the counterattack, provided a good opportunity for their opponent. In the 39th minute, Moraza scored a counterattack for Santos, who despite everything had no chance.
Of course, Levante's formidable defensive retreat did not prevent Atlético from ending up with a shot from Sheila Guijarro into the hands of Emma Holmgren. The Swedish goalkeeper began to accumulate work, first catching a shot from Eva Navarro and later another from Ajibade, both centered.
Although Ajibade had the last approach before the break, with a center-shot that went without a shot, the Colchoneras' dominance did not continue after the restart. The game became thick and in fact Ramírez, with a header after a play by Alba Redondo, scored Levante's first chance of the second half.
Atlético's coach, Manolo Cano, turned to his bench in the 66th minute with the aim of changing the dynamic. He introduced Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic for this, which paid off by monopolizing the ball. In the 75th minute, Navarro put Holmgren in trouble after a long assist from Santos that forced the Levante goalkeeper to leave quickly.
The controversy then flew over Butarque when no one expected it. In a ball divided between Natasa Andonova and Carmen Menayo, the 'granota' attacker hit the ball with her left arm and that caused her to also hit the red and white defender in the arm, confusing those responsible for the VAR. However, Acevedo Dudley did not decree anything after the review.
NUNES SHINES IN EXTRA TIME
Until the end of regulation time, Ajibade entered the left side a couple of times, but without the courage to avoid extra time. Facing that extension, Levante started with impetus and Silvia Lloris was very close to 1-2, from point-blank range at the far post to finish off a cross from Paula Tomás on foot changed from the left side.
However, Levante gradually faded away and it was Manolo Cano's pupils who pushed the most in attack, thanks to a quadruple substitution. In the ideas of Shei García, Estefanía Banini, Sonia Majarín and Ludmila da Silva lay Colchoneros' hopes of not risking qualification on penalties, which Levante surprisingly avoided.
In an apparently isolated action on the right wing, Alba Redondo saved a loose ball from going wide and delayed Daniela Arques, who crossed to the penalty spot so that Gabi Nunes gained position from Crnogorcevic in the jump and headed hard, without possibility that Gallardo could repel the ball.
With the Madrid team desperately looking for a tie, Gabi Nunes herself, on the counterattack, stood in the rival area, dribbled past Atlético's last defender and hit an unappealable left-footed shot almost into the top corner. Beautiful and definitive 1-3, which sealed the Levante's ticket for the final on January 20, on the same stage.
DATASHEET.
–RESULT: ATLÉTICO DE MADRID, 1 – LEVANTE, 3 (1-1, at half-time).
–ALIGNMENTS.
ATLÉTICO DE MADRID: Gallardo; Moraza, Menayo (Majarín, min.98), Rodríguez, Medina (Crnogorcevic, min.66); Santos (Banini, min.98), Gaby, Boe Risa ('Wifi' Moral, min.117), Navarro (Shei García, min.98); Ajibade (Ludmila, min.105) and Guijarro.
LEVANTE: Holmgren; Antonia (Lloris, min.46), Méndez, Mendoza, Tomás; Fernández (Alharilla, min.120+3), Baños, Andonova (Daniela, min.99), Sosa; Ramírez (Gabi Nunes, min.84) and Redondo (Torrodá, min.119).
–GOALS:
0-1, min.8: Sosa.
1-1, min.21: Ajibade.
1-2, min.116: Gabi Nunes.
1-3, min.120+4: Gabi Nunes.
–REFEREE: Acevedo Dudley (Catalan C.). He yellow carded Banini (min.113) and Rodríguez (min.120) at Atlético de Madrid, and Méndez (min.51) at Levante.
–STADIUM: Municipal of Butarque.