Atlético, winter champion and record of victories | Soccer | Sports

the symbolic winter championship and a historical record of 14 consecutive victories against a good Osasuna that never lost face of the game. Vicente Moreno’s team succumbed, but made Atlético work for the victory. Simeone’s team went from more to less in both halves, but it achieved its goal of being crowned the best team of this first round, adorned with that milestone of fourteen victories among all competitions. The 44 accumulated points enable him to fight in a League that may require the champion to be around 90 points. An unthinkable when a couple of months ago Barcelona had put ten points in between. At the halfway point of the competition, after a reaction in which he first pulled on defensive solidity to rehabilitate himself until finally letting go. Perhaps this match has been the weakest of the last ones that the red and whites have played.

Initially, Atlético had to face an Osasuna that was a priori reduced in its eleven with the substitutions of players such as Aimar Oroz, Juan Cruz and Budimir. He seemed to respond to Vicente Moreno’s plan to play a long game to finish it off with his best players. An idea to match those second halfs in which Atlético has won thanks to its wardrobe. But that low-profile Osasuna was not a mere troupe. They wanted to be a short team, sheltered in a defense of three centre-backs and also ambitious to pressure Atlético’s exit on specific occasions. Simeone’s team dealt well with that sharp rival in the first minutes. At seven he executed a play with a lot of touch, with the ball traveling from left to right until it found Molina. Griezmann scored this goal with his shoulder and the goal was annulled after a VAR review. Atlético couldn’t open the game with haste, but they remained bossy. A robbery by Giuliano in his own half turned Griezmann into a wall that sent the Argentine running and all over the field. Giuliano’s powerful speed allowed him to step into the area and assist Julián Alvarez. This one, free of mark, finished sharply into the hands of Herrera. The Argentine scorer himself also failed to powerfully corner a free header.

Without finesse in the finishing, the match turned towards what Osasuna intended. As time passed, Vicente Moreno’s team felt more comfortable. Well screwed with Torró and Ibañéz in the middle, with the mobility of Moi Gómez and the stride of Bretones trying to threaten Oblak. He made a false start on an aerial ball that Catena combed. If it had gone on goal it would have been a goal. Atlético was diluted and became stuck on the right wing, where Molina, Giuliano, Griezmann and De Paul were crowded too often. There were no signs from the left flank. Neither from Galán, nor from Gallagher. The Englishman has not quite taken his place in that area of ​​the field. It has too many moments of inconsequentiality because it has no overflow and stuck to the lime it is difficult for it to shape itself to combine. The English international is a player to reach and his team was too determined in the first half to play on the right.

Lino for Gallagher was the change with which Simeone tried to give his team flight on that side after the break. Atlético’s start was authoritative, with Lino striking and Giuliano heating up the atmosphere with his runs into space. It didn’t take long for the red and whites to make their charge profitable. It was in a lateral foul that Griezmann gloved to the far post. There Lenglet, with a powerful jump, made a header that Julián Álvarez finished into an empty goal.

Osasuna was not depressed, they continued in the game and took it in the final stretch. He realized that his rival was beginning to retreat, prey to a short result that he could not increase on the counterattack. The Navarrese team did not have very clear chances, but they sometimes prowled Oblak’s area with some danger. Simeone wanted to oxygenate Julián Alvarez and give another breath to the attack with Correa without much success. It was surprising that Cholo did not try to put the game to sleep with Koke or finish it off with Sorloth. He ended up winning it and Simeone celebrated with jumps. With a record of victories and as winter champion.