Ruben Baraja He broke Valencia’s streak every time they faced Atlético: 17 games without winning. We would have to go back to 2014 to find Che’s last joy against the colchoneros. Too much time and something unusual for Simeone, who in the last nine years has faced 16 different coaches every time the calendar matched them. Hugo Duro It woke up the rojiblancos, filled with praise after the overwhelming victory against Rayo Vallecano that triggered euphoria in the environment. Two blows from the striker revealed a defense that seems to have lost during this national team break the DNA so characteristic of the Cholo era. And Javi Guerra’s goal left the shame of an unrecognizable Atlético in the air.
In other times not too distant, the match between Valencia and the Atlético It would have been a duel between two teams with similar aspirations, fighting to get into the Champions League without ruling out the League. But at the moment the difference between both clubs is abysmal: in budget, squad level and aspirations. The red and whites reached Mestalla after the coup of authority in Vallecas and coinciding with the surprising words of the Che president officially marking salvation as the objective. “We have to be realistic,” he warned. Layhoon Chan, after closing a transfer market with the sole plan of reducing staff costs. However, the youngest team in the League had started the season with two victories that gave some peace of mind before the break, despite the last two defeats against Osasuna and Alavés.
But football is a democratic sport that is increasingly establishing itself in meritocracy. This is the only way to explain why within five minutes Valencia was already winning. A center, with some fortune, of Sergi Canos was finished off into the back of the net by Hugo Duro. The Atletico defense was still having dinner and didn’t even find out about Che’s blow. Simeone demanded that his team wake up and play football similar to that shown in Vallecas not so long ago, but we must not forget that the panorama has changed a lot since that 0-7: It is no longer there Carrasco, who went to Al Shabab; the infirmary collapses with Memphis, De Paul and Soyuncu; in addition to Soon y Reinildo, with long-term leave. A wave that questions the configuration of the workforce and the work carried out in the offices.
In Mestalla, Atlético’s well-oiled engine seized at the first opportunity. Far from reacting, the red and white team suffered against a Valencia that was much more involved in the game and that generated chances. Simeone entrusted himself to Oblak, which is always life insurance, and hoped that the pulse rate from the crash would go down to regain his pulse. The coach had found solutions to his numerous losses in the Academy. Pablo Barrios and Riquelme They appeared in the team’s initial photo to cover the absences of two of their great references: Koke and Carrasco.
The clash became equal and after half an hour, Atlético had already sent two serious warnings through Morata and Llorente. Silence in Mestalla with the header of Diakhabywho entered the area like a locomotive but instead of the ball he found the parietal of Azpilicueta, who remained groggy. Fortunately he recovered without consequences.
Lemar’s serious injury
Valencia struck again with ten minutes left before the break after a steal of the ball that made Cholo desperate. The counterattack reached Hugo Duro, who got rid of Witsel and of Savic before beating Oblak. Double from the Madrid native, which left Atlético touched. And since misfortunes never come alone, Lemar was injured in a jump. The gestures of the French midfielder, who was leaving on a stretcher with his hands over his face, did not bode well. Another important loss for Simeone and the first minutes of Javi Galan as a mattress player.
Thomas Lemar was taken off on a stretcher after falling into a bad position during a game and the medical services, in a first examination, fear a serious injury to the Achilles tendon. Pending tests to confirm a definitive diagnosis.
— Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) September 16, 2023
In extra time he was able to score the third Hugo Duro but Azpilicueta corrected wonderfully to minimize Savic’s serious mistake, clear the ball, prevent the goal and save the honor of his teammate.
Correa by Savic and Molina for Riquelme were Cholo’s changes after the break. Strengthen the defense and seek more clarity in the center of the field by removing two players who were not successful in the first half. The changes bore fruit. Atlético stretched, took the initiative and Morata tested Mamardashvili, who proved to be a better goalkeeper than defending Georgia against Spain. The Madrid native had scored three goals against him a week ago. But it was not the striker’s or Atlético’s day. He hit Valencia again with a kick from Javi Guerra from the front in a new error in the red-and-white ball release.
El Cholo faced the last half-hour without Griezmann, who arrived after establishing himself as the leader of his team and with Valencia as one of his favorite victims. The Frenchman had no chances, his performance was discreet. Hermoso retired next to him. They entered Gimenez, who finally reappeared, and Saúl. But the dynamics were impossible to vary and Valencia’s hunger was greater than Atlético’s quality.
2023-09-16 16:17:50
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