Atletico Madrid 1-0 Espanyol
Atletico Madrid beat Espanyol today thanks to an Antoine Griezmann penalty to go joint top of La Liga with Barcelona.
They are unlikely to be level for long. Diego Simeone’s side started the game three points behind Barca, before the Catalan’s home game against Celta Vigo. But
58,000 fans at the Wanda Metropolitano went home happy, as this was all about the win. The game wasn’t pretty by any stretch and it’s never going to feature in the La Liga 2018 highlights package, but for Diego Simeone and his defensive machine, the result was perfect.
Espanyol head coach Rubi had made a stunning start to his reign at the club, lifting them to second in the table after 12 games, but a run of six defeats has seen then plummet down the table into the bottom half.
Rubi’s team can feel themselves a little unlucky, having dominated the ball and had twice as many shots as their hosts. But there’s only one statistic which matters.
One goal to nil.
Highlights of the game
Espanyol started well and had a flurry of early attempts on goal, top scorer Borja Iglesias testing Jan Oblak in the Atletico nets.
Then at the other end, Antoine Griezmann latched on to a smart headed pass by Saul Niguez and shot low toward the corner but Diego Lopez got down well to save.
Iglesias stretched Oblak again as did Leo Baptistao, and then Iglesias crossed for Sergio Garcia but his header went just over the bar. The visitors were responding superbly to a poor run of form and their keeper was rarely troubled in the opening 45 minutes, but he had to make a routine save from Griezmann as half time approached and then a better one from another low well-directed attempt by the France star.
Espanyol were the better side in the first half and the home fans were standing in a state of confusion as their star-studded team struggled to make any impact on the side that Barca had recently destroyed 4-0.
We were scratching our heads here at SBOBET too!
But whatever Simeone had said, or shouted, to his players at the break seemed to make an immediate impact. Nikola Kalinic headed down for Correa to drive a shot at goal, and then Correa teed up Thomas Partey and his shot flew narrowly wide. Kalinic had a shot blocked on 54 minutes but then Espanyol defender Esteban Granero was deceived by Koke and he tripped the Atletico man to give the referee an easy job to point to the spot.
Up stepped Griezmann to smash an unstoppable shot into the top right corner to put the hosts ahead.
The second half became a little cagey and that suited Atletico down to the ground as they began to snuff the life out of their brave visitors, making timely interceptions and block after block. As the minutes ebbed way Esteban Granero got on the end of an Oscar Melendo cross but his header hit the mass of bodies in the Atletico box.
Then, in injury time Granero nodded the ball down for Iglesias and the eight goal striker saw his shot have the same fate with no way through the Atleti defence.
Key Statistics
The out-for-form visitors looked anything but in the first half with 55 per cent possession and ten shots to Atletico’s four, with three each on target.
And that pattern continued right to the end, Espanyol’s possession increased to 63 per cent and they won the shot count by 18 to eight, though Atletico had more on target, five to four.
You could say it was an ugly win, but Simeone will care not one jot. His team is running at two points a game and has lost just once so far this season and is unbeaten in 14.
What’s next?
After the winter break Atletico welcomes in the New Year with a crunch match away to fellow title chasers Sevilla. The La Liga 2018 odds suggest that Real Madrid could be the biggest threat to Barcelona’s title defence, but these two teams will have a say for sure. The Seville side could draw level with Atleti this weekend.
Espanyol is at home to Leganes on their return. The Madrid minnows are making a good fist of survival again after a poor start to the season they have won two and drawn four in the last six. And Rubi’s side will do well to get a good rest over Christmas. They need to come out fighting or start to look over their shoulders.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
