Direct Chronicle
Lost in a chronic game crisis, Atlético no longer wins against 10. An hour of dominance against Espanyol did nothing but verify a football-depleted side that saved João Félix from a major disaster with a goal, with who again claims that he is just over the fourth or fifth striker. Simeone’s team does not escape the soccer cloud that surrounds him, unable to assert himself in numerical superiority, also fragile by conceding a goal that condemns him even more and worsens his status as a team installed at the soccer level.
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Griezmann (Lemar, min. 72), Savic, Morata (Matheus Cunha, min. 73), Kondogbia (Witsel, min. 65), De Paul (Correa, min. 45), Oblak, Reinildo Mandava, Carrasco (João Félix, 65 mins), Gimenez, Nahuel Molina and Marcos Llorente
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Braithwaite (Javi Puado, min. 55), Vinicius, Cabrera, Keidi (Sergi Gómez, min. 35), Aleix Vidal (Pol Lozano, min. 88), Brian (Simo, min. 56), Óscar Gil (Omar, min 88), Darder, Calero, Joselu and Lecomte
Gates 0-1 min 62: Darder. 1-1 min. 78: Joao Felix.
referee Juan Luis Pulido Santana
Yellow cards Brian (min. 34), Braithwaite (min. 52), Kondogbia (min. 59), Lecomte (min. 74), Giménez (min. 82), Aleix Vidal (min. 85), João Félix (min. 85). 86) and Omar (min. 95)
Red cards Cabrera (min. 28)
The appointment was a compendium of all the ills looming over Simeone’s team, including division and the uneasiness of a fan who is discouraged by what they see game after game. The staff was patient but everything has a limit. The run run before the defeats or the misdeliveries exploded in individual whistles at the end of the first half and the game.
The emptiness of the south end stands and some bare patches in the normally full stands confirmed that the wicks are short in this ailing and dejected Atlético. The accompaniment of whistles when a majority chanted Simeone’s name betrayed the social rift, despite the institution’s and coach’s claim to unity. The whistles at the Athletic Front entrance at the end of the first half finally confirmed the social break. With the division impregnated in the atmosphere and the prevailing silence, the rojiblancos unfolded under the flag of effort that Griezmann hoists. A couple of his recoveries tried to show the way to redemption for a group playing under the impact of their European failure and league irregularity. It’s difficult to distinguish between Atlético not finding football and football not finding Atlético.
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Espanyol didn’t have a hard time surviving that Rojiblancos’ initial attempt to break free from the impulse of Griezmann, who became the icon of a group transformation that didn’t come. It was enough for him to wait for the flat football that has accompanied his rival for weeks to appear. Diego Martínez’s side seemed delighted to be in the middle of a game with no areas. The game’s flow found the same endless path that so vulgarizes Simeone’s team. De Paul, who tried long and short, X-rayed this irregularity that his team condemns. He alternated good passes with bad ones. Coming from his origins, one can even point to some improvement because he has at least tried to put into practice the main virtue of his commitment: the long postponement. Perhaps that earned him a blanket reprimand not to be sung, but not in such a way that Simeone left him on the dugout at half-time. De Paul is playing more focused now, along with one of the pivots, either Kondogbia, as against Espanyol, or Witsel, who is relegated to the bench. The Belgian’s case is also significant. He played better as a central defender early in the game than as a central midfielder, his natural position. As a front-line midfielder, he’s noticed how poorly the team is playing and got caught up in the same momentum as the rest.
desperate
Nothing happened until Cabrera defeated Morata in a running battle, ignoring the ball more than 30 yards from goal. He was the last man standing and the referee ruled that the blue and white central defender should be kicked out. Atlético had a game hour ahead of them to defeat an inferior rival. But the benefit seemed more like a slab. Another ton of pressure for a group that weighed too much not to win was another blow to the period. From a couple of placements from Reinildo, he scraped a couple of times for the re-emerged Marcos Llorente, who lacked finesse on an open shot, and crashed in a zero-aimed header.
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The lack of ideas and imbalance removed Simeone trying to shake his team with Correa for the irregular De Paul. It also took a while for the Argentine flow to subside. And the worst came. Espanyol’s goal, a counterattack, culminated at will at Darder’s far post. There, Simeone had no choice but to put Witsel, João Félix, Lemar and Cunha in two shots ahead of the imminent setback. Now only the desperate attack remained. That the flashes of inspiration did what the combined game didn’t offer him. An ordeal and all or nothing, enforced by the shame of a defeat that was harshly and heartbreakingly promised.
A header from Giménez and a shot from Morata, which ricocheted off an Espanyol defender as he appeared to enter, pre-empted the equaliser. It was João Félix who caught the tie with a fierce left foot after a check with his chest on the run. The Portuguese claimed an imperial leap of nine of his life for Lecomte to join the squad with his mittens on. Again, the team’s relegated fifth forward defended whether he really deserved that gallon reduction. Nothing is left for this Atlético and less for one of its most unbalanced players. João Félix was still able to win the match with a maneuver that lacked a more useful touch to complete the cut used to clean his marker. Giménez had the last one but was missing the ankle twister.
That was the last great chance for Atlético, who took over all the pie surrounding his football in the closing minutes. And what’s worse, even around 10.
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