Atlético is now in the quarterfinals after a comfortable victory at the Martínez Valero against an Elche that was no match for the League leader despite having been undefeated in ten games. Simeone’s team already sealed the tie in the first half hour, with two goals from the Norwegian Sorloth, a regular substitute for Julián Álvarez. Tonight is the fifteenth consecutive victory for the rojiblancos.
Simeone rotated the team a lot and made nine changes compared to the eleven that won last Sunday in the League against Osasuna. The changes did not diminish the intensity of the colchoneros’ game, much superior from minute one. Elche spent the entire game behind the ball and Atlético played with a defense of five.
Big scorer
Sorloth scored a double
The first goal came in the eighth minute with a cross from Llorente and good control and finishing from Sorloth. After a good chance by Correa, the second goal came in the 28th minute in a clear penalty for Bambo’s knockdown of Samuel Lino. Sorloth scored with a powerful shot, from mid-height and through the center.
Elche tried to react and advance lines against an Atlético team that was somewhat further behind, but their play was very horizontal, never endangering Musso, Oblak’s substitute almost always.
The second part
Nico Fernández was expelled
The second half began with a defensive change in the colchoneros. Sorloth stayed on the bench as a precaution and Nahuel Molina came out to play. Atlético played with only one striker. Everything got even worse for Elche in the 50th minute due to an absurd tackle by Nico Fernández on Riquelme that earned the Argentine a second yellow card, leaving his team with ten players.
With one more on the field, Atlético increased its superiority. Riquelme scored the third with a long shot in the 62nd minute that surpassed the effort of San Román, an Atlético homegrown goalkeeper, grandnephew of a historic Atlético goalkeeper.
The punishment for Elche would not end there. In the 76th minute Julián Álvarez would score the fourth when he took advantage of a cross from De Paul and a bad clearance from San Román, which left the ball dead near the Argentine. No major league team has won fifteen consecutive victories, nine away from home.
#Atlético #thrashes #Elche #rival
