Felipe vindicates himself and rescues Atlético from set pieces

True to his idiosyncrasy, Atlético suffered to beat a compact Osasuna thanks to a strategic action resolved by Felipe when the feeling was that they would blow two points from the Metropolitano. Full happiness for Cholo because his team recovered the weapon from the set piece, won by the minimum, as in the past, and in the end he did not concede goals. He deserved to beat the points, but more by dominance than by occasions, since the two best saves of the afternoon were made by Oblak, one of them shot by Roberto Torres in the discount. The champion of the pot balls had abused, especially by Vrsaljko and Hermoso, but he precisely scored with a header, just off a corner. The Brazilian Felipe, widely criticized this season for his defensive mistakes, vindicated himself with a goal that heals, for the moment, his ills and those of his team.

Tactical battle in a very contained first act. Osasuna showed why away from home they have only lost at the Sánchez-Pizjuán and even tied at the Bernabéu, and Atlético waited further back and took it more calmly than in previous games. The question is whether the mattress makers retreated by order of Simeone, determined to stop the defensive hemorrhage of his army, without his own soldiers who, fearful, retreat, or if the merit went to a Navarrese group, at times with a lot of pressure high. Surely a little of everything, but the balance was absolute.

Cholo made four changes with respect to the last league match at Mestalla, which ended with an incredible draw and those two goals in the discount of Valencia that still sting the colchoneros. The one forced by Trippier’s shoulder injury and those chosen by the coach to rest Giménez, De Paul and Luis Suárez, back after crossing the pond due to their international commitments, but the last two recruited in the second half.

Atlético returned to the classic defense of four, with Mario Hermoso as a left-handed side although he is more central, and Griezmann came on stage with nine liar. It was the French who most disturbed the rojillos, but their actions remained in the typical oops !. He tried unsuccessfully with a header in anticipation of the center, a quick shot after turning on a tile and a very forced shot after Llorente’s death pass in discount. It was the only internment of the international reappearance in the entire initial period, more concerned not to lose the position near Koke than to strike. Atlético attacked better on the left, especially when Lemar and Carrasco were associated, but abused the centers. So much more is played than what Jagoba Arrasate wanted, to the point that Oblak, very attentive, had to show off to deflect a distant whip from Lucas Torró.

Mattress acceleration

Atlético came out with more determination and ambition after the break. He had no choice if he wanted to overcome this obstacle. He advanced all his lines, he was more intense, fast in circulation and deep. The game looked different, it was already one-way. Lemar had it head on, but his shot was deflected by a defender as he went towards the goal. Griezmann scored at will, after Correa left, but the Argentine was clearly offside.

Cholo did not wait much longer and turned to Suárez and De Paul with almost half an hour to go. Jagoba also moved double tab, with minutes for an emblem like Oier and a threat like Budimir. As these changes did not improve the Madrid, Simeone soon put Cunha in place of Griezmann. But he did not hit the key to unbalance Osasuna.

The youth Carlos Martín, forward of the subsidiary, made his debut and Felipe solved in a corner in 87 ‘. There was tension until the end, with that shot by Roberto Torres that deflected the Slovenian giant and a very distant delivery from Carrasco to the post because Herrera had come up in a corner.