I stopped Atlético from a serious Villarreal
The ‘submarine’ prevails in the Metropolitano and breaks the promising start of the rojiblancos
MADRID, 21 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Atlético de Madrid lost (0-2) this Sunday against Villarreal on matchday two of LaLiga Santander, a slowdown at a promising start to the season and also in the heat of the Cívitas Metropolitano, in the rival’s first level test.
Diego Pablo Simeone’s team saw the euphoria reduced by a ‘submarine’ that had also started well. Unai Emery’s men, with a long preseason due to their attempt to access the Conference League with the second leg against Hajduk Split on Thursday, put Atlético on the ropes as they had not yet suffered.
The first half was yellow, but the goal came when the rival was better. Atlético did not have the punch of Álvaro Morata nor the spark of Joao Félix this time and, due to an error by Nahuel Molina, Yeremy Pino made it 0-1. The rojiblanco wardrobe was able to turn the match around in the second half.
Griezmann, Correa and Cunha confirmed that ‘Cholo’ has a lot to choose from, but Rulli made a couple of worthwhile interventions. In the last minute, Gerard Moreno finished a lethal counter-attack to make it 0-2, giving the ‘sumbarino’ six out of six points and leaving an Atlético with three where the euphoria subsides too soon.
The debut against Getafe and the preseason invited excitement at the Metropolitano on a hot August afternoon. In the first minute, Morata controlled the rival goalkeeper with his spur and shot. Everything seemed to continue in his place. However, Villarreal soon confirmed that they were a very dangerous rival, capable of dodging with quality the red-and-white pressure that gave them such good results in last week’s derby. Jackson was the first local problem.
The yellow box grew on the left wing and Lo Celso, already a starter on his return, showed that he did not need much adaptation. Capoue also forced Oblak and Emery’s team began to deserve the goal. Morata reappeared with a header, but the red and white pressure did not stop a very vertical submarine.
Gerard Moreno got to see the door, after a crossbar from Foyth, but was annulled for using his hand, and before the break Atlético rearmed something, with another couple of shots from Morata and something else from Lemar. It was up to the local team to improve a lot and they did it after the restart, even more so with the carousel of changes.
Cunha miraculously did not score a pass that killed Cunha and, almost in the next one, Yeremy’s goal came in a bad clearance by Molina. Later, the Villarreal goalkeeper again frustrated the entire Metropolitano by stopping a Carrasco header on the line, after Cunha crashed into the crossbar.
The ‘Cholo’ team had suddenly lost the scoring facility it brought and the ‘submarine’ already believed their victory, Emery’s first over ‘Cholo’, clearing balls and dangerous on the counterattack. In local despair, Molina was sent off for pushing Baena into his time waster.
Morales had the sentence but it was Moreno who signed it in the long discount, in another pique in the celebration with an Atlético that did not expect to lose its inertia on the second day and at home.
DATASHEET:
–RESULT: ATLÉTICO DE MADRID, 0 – VILLARREAL, 2. (0-0, at halftime).
–ALIGNMENTS:
ATLETICO DE MADRID: Oblak; Molina, Savic (Giménez, min.76), Witsel, Reinildo, Carrasco, Lemar (De Paul, min.62), Koke, Llorente (Griezmann, min.62), João Félix (Correa, min.70) and Morata ( Cunha, min.70).
VILLARREAL: Rulli; Foyth, Pau, Albiol, Pedraza, Capoue (Coquelin, min. 69), Parejo, Lo Celso (Baena, min. 70), Yeremy (Chukwueze, min. 76), Jackson (Morales, min. 84) and Gerard Moreno.
–GOL:
0 – 1, min.73, Jeremy Pino.
0 – 2, min.97, Gerard Moreno.
–REFEREE: From Burgos Bengoetxea (C. Vasco). He admonished Joao Félix (min. 48) and Giménez (min. 91) by Atlético. And Parejo (min.93), Baena (min.94) and Moreno (min.99) at Villarreal. He expelled Molina (min.94) for a direct red card.
–STADIUM: Cívitas Metropolitano.