Elche asserted their need to win and the irritating expulsion of Almada at half an hour to defeat André da Silva’s goal, which broke the tie at two with 15 minutes left, took Eder Sarabia’s men out of the relegation spots. What for Elche was a transcendental match in their fight for permanence, for Atlético it had the air of a summer gig from the lineup that Simeone arranged. Only the return of Oblak and the presence of Le Normand conferred an air of ownership. The experiment was such that Cholo played without forwards. Among those who stayed at home (Julián Alvarez, Sorloth and Lookman) and those who sat on the bench (Griezmann, Giuliano) there was no reference attacker. Baena and Almada formed the strange attacking couple. Another symptom that the League is already something secondary for Atlético because it has a Champions League place for next year practically guaranteed. Simeone and now the European semi-finals with Arsenal. The league tournament has been a test bed for the Argentine coach for a month now. A way to review the less common ones and the kids from the quarry. As against Sevilla, Boñar and Julio Díaz occupied the sides.
3
Matías Dituro, Léo Pétrot (Pedro Bigas, min. 81), Buba Sangaré (Victor Chust, min. 59), David Affengruber, Martim Neto (Lucas Cepeda, min. 66), Aleix Febas, Tete Morente (Josan, min. 66), Gonzalo Villar, Germán Valera, André Silva y Rafa Mir (Álvaro Rodríguez, min. 66)
2
Jan Oblak, Clément Lenglet, Julio Díaz (Marc Pubill, 45 min.), Javier Boñar, Robin Le Normand (Nahuel Molina, 45 min.), Rodrigo Mendoza (Antoine Griezmann, 61 min.), Johnny Cardoso, Nico González, Obed Vargas (Pablo Bargas, 61 min.), and Ágo Thiale Almarios. Baena (Giuliano Simeone, 61 min.)
Goals
0-1 min. 9: Nico Gonzalez. 1-1 min. 17: David Affengruber. 2-1 min. 32: André Silva. 2-2 min. 33: Nico Gonzalez. 3-2 min. 74: Andre Silva
Referee Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez
yellow cards
Clement Lenglet (min. 35), Julio Díaz (min. 37), Aleix Febas (min. 48), Buba Sangaré (min. 48)
red cards
Almada (min. 30)
More in need, it was Elche that opened fire with a chance that Rafa Mir sent to limbo. Varela and Tete Morente were revealed as the side routes with which to burst. Eder Sarabia’s team wanted to dominate the ball and the game, which encountered its worst defect. With the ball forward they are an attractive team, but when they have to run backwards they are very tender and even careless. Ideal territory for a roadrunner like Nico González, this time bordering on the right. From there he rode with little opposition to the balcony of the area, where Mendoza was waiting for him. He claimed his class with a back-heel shot that the Argentine ended up crashing into Dituro’s net. A good goal that Elche recovered quickly from. The Atlético defense ate a lob after a corner kick and Affengruber took advantage of Oblak’s delay in bailing.
Almada joined this defensive naivety of the red and whites with a daring worthy of a party. It occurred to him to dribble on the edge of the area and Affengruber cleared the ball for him. Almada grabbed him by the shirt when the Austrian was preparing to finish off Oblak or assist. Expulsion and penalty that André da Silva did not forgive. With ten, Atlético quickly equalized by drilling. He ran, gained the baseline, threw a hat at Dituro and finished off with his head. The VAR determined that the ball had not gone out and that it also crossed the goal line by half an inch.
The second half belonged to Elche, who did not waste their numerical superiority. With one less, neither the entry of Griezmann, Giuliano or the reappearance of Barrios had any effect. André da Silva, assisted by the omnipresent Affengruber, executed an Atlético that has resigned from the League.
