Defeated in Milan, insubstantial in Almería, overwhelmed in Bilbao, within the sequence of three consecutive trips that took him away from himself, he Atlético de Madrid He found victory again in his stadium, in the Metropolitanoin the refuge of its season and its aspirations, held in fourth place between an unusual number of missed chances, two goals in favor and the suffering of the entire second half (2-1).
His irrefutable performance in the first half became the suffering of the second half, further aggravated by William Carvalho’s 2-1 lead and lightened by a crucial save from Jan Oblak on Guido Rodríguezbecause before it crashed against its own inefficiency.
Invincible in his last 25 LaLiga EA Sports games alongside his people, 23 of them with victory, or with a single defeat in his last 31 home games in all competitions (Athletic Club’s 0-1 in the Copa del Rey), the score established just one goal difference, when the distance in opportunities was much further.
The Athletic should have sentenced in the first half. Because, then, when it is intense, when it plays in the opposite field, when it accepts the vertigo of attacks, when it presses with determination, when it wins duels, its dimension as a team is indisputable, well above each of his recent commitments as a visitorrelieved of the weight of disappointment in part by his imposing local figure throughout the course and beyond.
It is true that the 1-0 was a rebound (Pezzella’s own goal, when Bellerín crashed his clearance into him, Rui Silva could not intercept it and the post ended up putting it into the green and white goal), as well as that it was no coincidence. Not even in its originthe loss of Bellerín caused by good pressure, nor in its completion, by Memphis’ pass.
Between one moment and another, Hermoso, pointed out in San Mamés last Thursday, was fundamental in stealing the ball, in his appearance and his conviction far beyond midfield. Also the quick continuity of Morata and Koke in the play that led to the goal in just eight minutes and that made visible a Green and White problem in getting the ball out.
Induced by the stalking of his rivals, he Betis he failed too much at that skill in the first acta survivor because Atlético misses the punch of a few months ago, when practically everything he finished was a goal, when he broke the scoring records of the entire Diego Simeone era, when he felt enormously strong on his occasions.
It no longer has that degree of success. Not even a penalty. Not even in rejections. Not even in front of the goalkeeper. In the defensive nonsense of Betis, there were plenty of examples on the cold afternoon at the Metropolitano, between Memphis and Morata, the debut forward in a starting eleven at Atlético a year and a half after the two coincided in the squad.
Already at 1-0, the Dutchman went first. In their ups and downs, all too visible, their matches are a roller coaster. His movements, his driving, his technical qualities and his vision of the game express a wonderful forward, capable of whatever he wants. His dedication, his perseverance, his decisions at times or his rhythm disfigure him, transforming him in some moments into a desperate player.
There is no doubt about its very high level. Not even with the double chance that Rui Silva denied him, when he guessed the first intention of hitting the ball and when he opposed, strong, enlarged, before the subsequent shot, now without such a promising perspective for the attacker, who also took a threatening right hand afterwards. It’s a specialty.
Then, Morata missed a penalty. Initially reviewed in the VAR for a possible offside, the referee, Soto Grado, signaled the maximum penalty. Eight games without scoring, the Madrid striker took the ball, placed it, threw it with his right foot and regretted the green and white goalkeeper’s stop, first with his foot, then with his hand, with which he thwarted his shot.
It didn’t stop there. He hit the rebound, which crashed into the goalkeeper’s body, as he also did on the third opportunity that the penalty gave him. Neither with the right nor with the left. It was then with a header, already on the brink of half-time, when the Spanish scorer rediscovered the most precious asset on the field for a striker: Rui Silva cleared De Paul’s shot, in an obvious downturn, but was beaten by the header at the pleasure of Morata.
Twenty goals now add up to the ’19’ in the most productive season of his career, even though it had been a month and a half without achieving the goal he was looking for and longing for. Him and his team. Atlético needs it, which led the duel against Betis. It was not only a defensive mistake by the visitors, but also a harmless exercise in attack until then. At half-time, it did not provoke any real save from Oblak. If anything, nothing more than a timely intervention by Gabriel Paulista, to solve Rodri’s only opportunity.
Nothing to do with the second half. Rodri changed at half-time, as did Marc Roca, with the entry into the field of the Argentine world champion Guido Rodríguez (reappeared in the competition three months after suffering a distal fracture of the fibula of his right leg in a training session on 7 December) and William Carvalho, Betis faced the resumption with another aspect, also facing another obligation and against another Atlético, who hesitated for the first time in the duel. He became more than nervous.
He had reasons. He no longer played in the rival field. On the contrary, Betis did it. Willian José warned with a centered header. And he scored 2-1, already in the 62nd minute, William Carvalho. A great goal. A nice parabola from outside the area to the squad, which Oblak did not reach. Merit of the scorer. And demerit of Atlético. Because everything arose from an inappropriate loss when the ball was released. And because he had already opted for relaxation rather than pressure.
It was Atlético who gave life to Betis. For all the chances that had failed before, there was still one more for Hermoso with the 2-0, and for the concession of so much ground and so much possession to the green and white team, recomposed and with a horizon, the tie, which he did not even glimpse when he left to the intermediate as bent as it was inoperative throughout that section.
Ayoze tested Oblak again, who performed a miracle when he guessed Guido Rodríguez’s shot between all his legs, to reject it for a corner between him and the post. The Metropolitan is already angry. The latent anger was already heard much more clearly, amid the absolute control of Betis. The last change was a final declaration of intentions: Savic for Morata. Atlético resisted, winning on the verge of a tie.
2024-03-03 17:15:00
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