The order of Mallorca, a goal from a set piece and a counter culminated by Kubo ended up collapsing Atlético. A tough defeat before the European final that awaits him on Tuesday in Porto. Simeone’s team played very badly, who can’t find a way to either shield the team behind or give it brightness and forcefulness at the top. The Atlético fans, so reluctant to criticize, were upset at the tostón that theirs offered them.
1
Oblak, Marcos Llorente, Felipe Monteiro, Savic (Mario Hermoso, min. 10), Renan Augusto, Correa (Luis Suárez, min. 70), Kondogbia, Koke, De Paul (João Félix, min. 59), Matheus Cunha (Vrsaljko , min. 70) and Griezmann (Lemar, min. 59)
2
Manolo Reina, Valjent, Pablo Maffeo, Russo, Jaume Costa, Iddrisu Baba (Fernando Niño, min. 79), Dani, Antonio Sánchez (Take Kubo, min. 73), Lee Kang-In (Sedlar, min. 84), Ruiz from Galarreta (Battaglia, min. 73) and Abdón Prats (Ángel, min. 73)
Goals 1-0 min. 67: Matheus Cunha. 1-1 min. 79: Russo. 1-2 min. 90: Take Kubo.
Referee Juan Martinez Munuera
Yellow cards Ruiz de Galarreta (min. 13), Pablo Maffeo (min. 42), Iddrisu Baba (min. 65), Felipe Monteiro (min. 78), Renan Augusto (min. 83), Valjent (min. 83) and Manolo Reina (min. 88)
Soccer does not accompany Simeone and his players and now neither do the results, the great shield in other times of gray and pacato play. When Cunha made it 1-0, there were only 20 minutes to go until the conclusion of the match. That income, so juicy in the past, is no longer an insurmountable barrier for its rivals. Mallorca gave a good account of it with a mere organized match. Without disfiguring himself and always attentive to trying to get a profit from the minimum concession that Atlético gave him. Luis García’s team did not forgive when he found facilities.
Simeone didn’t get the rotations working. With his eyes on the momentous duel on Tuesday, he gave Luis Suárez, Lemar and Hermoso respite, although his break lasted the 10 minutes it took Savic to break. Lodi, Kondogbia and Cunha were the bets of the starting Cholo. Again the rojiblanco coach planted the 4-4-2, the mold of fears for times of irregularity. And again the plain invaded the Atlético game in another first half to forget. The champion was left in a sparkling start that gave him a buzz that Correa missed, a heeled hand-to-hand from Lodi and a couple of sharp starts from Cunha. The Brazilian is determined to defend more opportunities with the virtues to stretch the team that Luis Suárez has not had for a long time. After those starting charges, Atlético immersed themselves in the trifle. Badly packed in the center of the field, with a visible positional incompatibility of Koke, De Paul and Kondogbia. The latter was unable to establish a rhythm of play that would move his team in the revolutions that he feels most comfortable with. For now, Kondogbia sweeps better than plays.
The collapse of the Atlético game gave way to a more scathing and less self-conscious Mallorca. Armored in the middle with the deployment of Baba, he began to pupate the rojiblancos with the dabbling of Maffeo, Dani Rodríguez, Kang In Lee and Abdon. He took advantage of the tremors that Atlético centrals have suffered lately in filtered passes to sneak between them and warn Oblak with a low shot. The Slovenian goalkeeper had to pull his powerful forearm so that a right corner from Kang In Lee did not burst his left squad. Then the Korean himself drew a parabola that whistled from the right angle. Without rhythm and without football, the rojiblancos players were fired by their fans with whistles. It seems that the red-and-white parish is already getting impatient with the game that it has been witnessing in recent days. They are cold and bored with what Simeone offers him and a squad that is designed to improve the one that conquered the League.
The complaints of the personnel returned to a more bossy team and urged by the need to win so as not to lose the track at the head of the table. More immersed in the field of Mallorca, the siege paid off with 20 minutes remaining. With Lemar and João Félix already on the field as agitators, a long pass from Koke and two cuts from Correa before assisting Cunha opened the can. The Brazilian, with the toe and from the ground, after connecting badly with the first shot, was able to scrape a goal that in other times would have been definitive.
For this Atlético that attacks badly and defends worse than ever, a goal is no longer enough to close games. It fits and it fits non-stop. Russo hunted a long foul headlong, beating Hermoso’s back. The eighth goal from set pieces that he has received so far this year is one more example of the defensive decomposition that has Simeone unhinged. Overturned, but without real fire, Atlético was exposed to the cons and in a Kubo ended up collapsing an unrecognizable team from the weak defense that overwhelms them and costs them points.
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