There was no bun oven. The lousy League final before the World Cup break and the European elimination forced the Atletico Madrid to give this Saturday a good image in Los Pajaritos de Soria at the beginning of its participation in the Copa del Rey, the tournament that their fans cling to to maintain the illusion in a season that has become disappointing. Much more than that for many of them. Opposite, a Third Division rival apparently conducive to getting thrashed, but the Almazán remained standing longer than many expected.
If what the mattress fans wanted tonight was to see a resurrection in their team’s game, they were wrong because those of Simeone they once again gave a disappointing image. Soul, spirit and claw were missing again, although the goals ended up appearing (0-2). El Cholo does not find solutions, neither soccer nor psychological. His troop resolved before an infinitely inferior group, but what seemed like a mere formality was not such. Another gray night despite the final victory.
Simeone was not for jokes and his starting eleven showed it. There were no concessions or gifts in the form of a bench. The coach did not look out of the corner of his eye at the World Cup and drew many of the internationals who will be in Qatar in his starting eleven. A line-up that could well be found in a Champions League match (Oblak; Nahuel Molina, Savic, Mario Hermoso, Reinildo; Marcos Llorente, Witsel, Koke, Joao Félix; Correa and Griezmann) had difficulty going into the break with an advantage.
He got it with a bit of Correa by taking advantage of a shot by Joao Félix that was repelled by the Almazán goalkeeper, impeccable until then. A goal for the Argentine to remove a pinch, just one, of the bitterness that it has meant for him to stay out of Lionel Scaloni’s call for the World Cup. That celebration was also a sigh for the mattress fans who traveled to Soria.
without forcefulness
The dominance in the first part was absolute by the Madrid team, but their players once again suffered from the eternal evil that accompanies them this season: the lack of effectiveness in the areas. Fortunately for the rojiblancos, that lack of success was only in the team from Soria, a willing team that stood up until their strength withstood them. He lost, but he won by honoring the Copa del Rey.
Until that goal by Correa, a shot from Immediately the crossbar and an arrival in the area in which João Félix got tangled up with an unnecessary dribble, which ended up aborting the possibility of scoring, they were the best chances for an Atlético team whose game was becoming more and more balls as the minutes went by. The Almazán did not reach the Oblak area, but the visiting ‘stars’ were not able to open the can to shake off their anguish either. The release came with Correa’s shot at an empty goal that made it 0-1.
It was not, however, a total liberation because the Almazán did not break down and after passing through the changing rooms he tried to take a step forward. Giménez and De Paul entered, two other World Cup players without rest. The Sorianos began to step more on the visiting field without generating chances, but Atlético was not able to close the duel with a second goal that was long in coming. It had to arrive because the difference between both teams is abysmal, but it took time.
The match was sailing in the usual red and white uncertainty when Joao Félix appeared to kill his rival. A great individual action by the Portuguese at the edge of the area ended with a shot that sent the ball into the net, entering next to the post (m. 63). The dream of Almazán lasted an hour.
With the score 0-2, the tension on the grass and also in the stands relaxed, where chants were heard in favor of Simeone. A victory with which Atlético celebrated their passage to the second round, but which did not help improve their image.
