Atlético de Madrid wins with momentum by flag

The colchoneros go back to Mallorca (3-1), celebrate their 120th anniversary with rage and threaten second place in the league

MADRID, 26 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Atlético de Madrid beat RDC Mallorca 3-1 this Thursday, with a comeback included, in a match corresponding to matchday 31 of LaLiga Santander and which has served to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the club's foundation, as well as to stalk second place in the league by taking advantage of Real Madrid's defeat the day before.

With the Cívitas Metropolitano overflowing, a huge typhus made up of tens of thousands of red and white flags mixed with the blue and white of the clothing released for such an event. This is how the local players jumped onto the pitch, dressed as 'Blackburn Rovers' to honor the origins of the branch founded in Madrid in 1903 by those responsible for Athletic Club.

Despite everything, there was little action in the early stages, just enough so that the animosity with the referee Juan Luis Pulido Santana was already noticeable in the stands of the stadium. A bad clearance by Dennis Hadzikadunic, with a header inside the vermilion area, hit the hand of his teammate Manu Morlanes. But from the VAR they did not indicate to Pulido Santana to review the play and he continued the game.

After a quarter of an hour, Álvaro Morata tried it with a shot that went very high. The offense was born from a filtered pass from Antoine Griezmann with the outside of his left boot. The '8' mattress player is still sweet, as a great reference for the scheme of a Diego Pablo Simeone who did not have Memphis Depay, Marcos Llorente, Reinildo Mandava, Stefan Savic or Jan Oblak for this appointment.

The scoring was opened by a goal from Matija Nastasic in the 20th minute, in a poisonous corner kick from Dani Rodríguez to the near post. Mario Hermoso and Álvaro Morata failed to clear, getting in the way while the ball passed between them until it reached the far post; there Nastasic appeared unmarked, since Axel Witsel did not follow him, and finished off with a header to beat Ivo Grbic.

The Croatian goalkeeper, Oblak's usual substitute – absent due to cervical problems – almost touched his first ball when he picked it up at that moment from the bottom of the net. A single shot from Mallorca in the first half... well, it had gone to the casserole. The local team replied in the 39th minute with a charge from Nahuel Molina on his right wing, in a struggle with José Copete that ended in a penalty.

However, the Mallorcan protests had an effect when the referee rethought his decision, consulted the television monitor at the request of Santiago Jaime Latre from the VAR and annulled said penalty. That setback ignited Atleti, who channeled their anger well to make it 1-1 through Rodrigo de Paul on the brink of halftime.

Pablo Maffeo saved a ball that was going to the throw-in and involuntarily assisted Mario Hermoso, who crossed Griezmann inside the area. The French forward controlled with his left foot, turned quickly and connected with a powerful left foot that was parried by Predrag Rajkovic; His rebound fell again at the feet of Griezmann, who, controlling on a single fault, passed De Paul, swiftly to clinch the goal.

Upon returning from the locker room, in a flash, the 'Cholo' pupils scored the second of their own. Molina received on the right side, but was outlined to cross into the area with a changed leg. That small gesture disconcerted the vermilion center-backs, who saw how Morata positioned himself well in between to head tight to the long post.

With the impetus by the flag, Atleti took control of the match and allowed themselves the luxury of taking a nap, causing their opponent to approach Grbic's goal on a couple of dangerous occasions by Kang-In Lee. To answer him, Morata signed a nice low heel shot at 75' that went wide, just to the side of the post and being the prelude to 3-1.

After a vermilion corner kick, Hermoso cleared his head in the first instance and Griezmann struck in another apparent clearance. The launch of him pumped from him served to catch Mallorca's defensive line off guard; Only Antonio Sánchez closed behind, who missed when trying to hit the ball, and Yannick Carrasco then found himself in the open field to run alone.

The Belgian footballer galloped into Rajkovic's area and executed a frivolity, stepping on the ball with his right foot to dribble past the visiting goalkeeper and push the third goal of an almost tremendous Atleti into the net, in communion with the stands. With no time for more scares, the 'Cholo' team clinched the victory to reach 63 points, just two behind Real Madrid's second league position.

--RESULT: Atlético de Madrid, 3 - Mallorca, 1 (1-1, at halftime).

ATHLETIC MADRID: Grbic; Molina, Gimenez, Witsel, Hermoso, Carrasco; De Paul (Saúl, min.63), Koke (Kondogbia, min.79), Lemar (Barrios, min.63); Morata (Correa, min.79) and Griezmann.

MALORCA: Rajkovic; Maffeo, Hadzikadunic, Nastasic (Antonio Sanchez, min.46), Copete, Coast; Dani Rodriguez, Morlanes (Ndiaye, 56th minute), Angel (Kang-In Lee, 56th minute); Baba and Prats (Season, min.56).

0-1, min.20: Nastasic.

1-1, min.45 2: By Paul.

2-1, min. 47: Morata.

3-1, min.77: Carrasco.

--REFEREE: Pulido Santana (C. Las Palmas). No reprimands.

--STADIUM: Cívitas Metropolitano, 58,523 spectators.