Bottom side Elche, already a Second Division team, gave Atlético a shower of pride. One point was enough for Simeone’s men to certify their qualification for the next edition of the Champions League and the victory allowed them to maintain that second place that they are disputing against Madrid. Neither one nor the other. An embarrassing first half and an insufficient second to overcome Fidel’s goal.
1
Edgar, Clerc, Helibelton Palacios, Bigas (Lisandro Magallán, min. 83), Gumbau, John Chetauya, Lautaro Blanco (Pere Milla, min. 67), Tete Morente, Lucas Boyé (Ezequiel Ponce, min. 93), Fidel (Raúl Guti, min. 83) and Nteka (Josan, min. 67)
0
Ivo Grbic, Mario Hermoso (Reguilón, min. 60), Witsel, Giménez, Nahuel Molina, Koke (Carlos Martín, min. 82), De Paul (Pablo Barrios Rivas, min. 60), Carrasco, Lemar (Correa, min. 53), Griezmann and Morata
goals 1-0 min. 41: Fidel.
Referee Alejandro Muniz Ruiz
Yellow cards Fidel (min. 29) and Lautaro Blanco (min. 35)
The same eleven that had signed a bunch of good games appeared with a face at the Martínez Valero. A drowsy Atlético, who warned that he was on the field and beach due to the ease with which they beat Carrasco and Nahuel Molina in the first two attacks by Elche. This time Simeone’s screams did not serve as a sting. His footballers fell into an unforgivable smugness for a team that intends to clean up its bad first part of the season by winning second place. A cross from De Paul and a chopped header from Morata that Edgar Badia saved was the only decent action from the colchoneros.
Faced with that pasty Atlético, with a filthy trot and far removed from the vibrant team that had made them the best team in the second round, Elche dedicated themselves to another exercise in consolidating Sebastian Beccacece’s plan. With the team already relegated, the Argentine coach is working on the bases of the proposal with which he will try to recover the category next season. An idea of good ball handling, a lot of pressure and a lot of verticality on the wings. Out there, both his pair of full-backs, Palacios and Lautaro Blanco, and that of the wing midfielders, Morente and Fidel, were a headache for Atlético. From that edged game, the bagels of Lautaro Blanco and Tete Morente were sweets that Lucas Boyé strangely did not take advantage of. The Argentine attacker, with a notable aerial game, failed to catch any of those tense and touched combas. Had he had an inspired day in the area, he could have shredded Atlético’s weak defensive system. The flaccidity that Simeone’s team exhibited revealed that after the first half hour he had not committed a foul. The statistical significance did not change until the second half entered.
The origin of Elche’s goal was not from one of those lateral centers with hemlock, but it did come from one side. A throw-in from Lautaro, protested because he executed it with one foot inside the field, was patted back by Grbic. The Croatian goalkeeper, who had the advantage to have gripped the ball with both hands, mistimed. The ball fell to him to push it at will at the far post to Fidel, unmarked. Another unequivocal sign of that first time on the field and beach of Atlético. Bad was Grbic, who corroborated the doubts that he offers in the defense of aerial balls. You can see more qualities for Oblak’s substitute under the sticks than coming out of them to intercept crosses. The question is to know if this flaw responds to the lack of games or a defect to be polished.
Atlético left at halftime with that goal against and the feeling that none of their unbalancing footballers reared their heads. Nothing from Griezmann, less from Carrasco and one more day a disappointing performance from Lemar. A pastiche of a team in those first 45 minutes surpassed by another that already fell into the pit of the Second Division not only played better. He also had more pride.
It was the kind of performance that unnerves Simeone, who is not used to overlooking a lack of nerve and visceral football. The anger at halftime must have been monumental, because at least a more determined team emerged. Given the panorama of the first half, Simeone’s solution was to put electricity and legs to shake his team. Barrios, Correa and Reguilón entered for the bland, Lemar, De Paul and Hermoso. With more vitality, the only two fine actions by Griezmann appeared, who put Carrasco and Morata face to face with Edgar Badía. The Belgian stumbled for wanting to adorn himself with a snail when he had Morata only to his left. This, minutes later, failed to beat the goal of Elche. He was slow to run and choose the definition. It was not Atlético’s day. Yes from Elche, who was able to extend their advantage. Pere Millá arrived past a header at the far post and Lucas Boyé, with Grbic beaten, went too far when he wanted to adjust a free shot. Simeone’s final charge included the homegrown striker Carlos Martín. Nothing. The attempt to react was late and not very forceful.
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