The second part of Espanyol-Athletic It was nearing its end and then the fourth official raised the sign: 10 minutes added. Vicente Moreno thought it was a lot; to Simeone, just and necessary. According to the average of the rest of the games, it was a high extension, although it is also true that it was a second half full of interruptions, which is what the Argentine coach claimed later in the press room. Espanyol, through their networks, threw irony: “We are sure that the same criteria will always be applied. “
The play that lost the most time was that of the annulled goal to Lemar. The Frenchman scored at 52 '43' 'and the game did not resume until 58' 08 ''. That is, five and a half minutes were lost. First, due to the intervention of the VAR, which checked that Luis Suárez was ahead of the game and, later, he invited Martínez Munuera to see the play so that he could consider whether the Uruguayan influenced the play. In 55 '24' 'he canceled the goal.
But the conversations continued for another minute, as changes were brewing in the band. At 56 '15' ', the referee told Diego López to serve, but at that moment Melendo fell to the ground with muscular discomfort. The ball still did not start. So yes, the technicians took the opportunity to make changes. Keidi, Loren and João Félix entered, Cholo took advantage of the break to make the substitution. In 58 '08' ', Diego López served.
A while later came the hydration break, which lasted just over two minutes. At 75 '32' 'the referee sent the players to the bench and at 77' 38 '', Lodi restarted the game. It was the big interruptions, although there were more. Espanyol made two other substitutions and Atleti, that of Cunha. AND in Carrasco's goal there was also a revision of the VAR, Although much shorter, in little more than a minute Espanyol was serving from the center. Plus medical care for soccer players (Darder, Melamed, Felipe …) that forced the referee to stop for a few seconds.
“There were many minutes (to be added), but it is also true that nor I saw so much time wasted in a match, “commented Simeone when they asked him at a press conference. Vicente Moreno did not like those comments at all and replied: “When you speak you are a slave to your words. Everyone who tells the movie they want … “. Of course, both made it clear that their talk in the technical area was cordial and “in good tune”. But the 10-minute decision will bring a tail …