Comfortable win for the champion in El Arcángel
Atlético de Madrid was better than Córdoba from beginning to end and sentenced the first half with goals from Griezmann and Saúl.
Córdoba: Juan Carlos; Gunino, Khrin, Crespo, Edimar; Abel, Zuculini (Fede Cartabia, 46’); Bebé, Borja, Fidel (Heldon Ramos, 64’); and Florin (Ghilas, 46’).
Atlético de Madrid: Oblak; Juanfran, Giménez, Godín, Gámez; Gabi, Tiago (Mario Suárez, 46’); Saúl, Griezmann (Arda Turan, 70’), Koke; and Mandžukić (Fernando Torres, 62’).
Referee: Estrada Fernández (Catalonian Committee). Booked the locals Florin (45’) and Gunino (59’); and the visiting Juanfran (80’).
GOALS:
0-1. 4’. Griezmann steals the ball in front of Zuculini, advances a few metres and makes a low shot close to the left of Juan Carlos’ goalpost.
0-2. 39’. Saúl heads to the net a throw-in by Gámez that Giménez had shot on the move at the near post.
Atlético de Madrid took the field of El Nuevo Arcángel, convinced that the first of the 10 finals remaining in the League had to be won at the beginning. Thus, Griezmann soon escaped after stealing a ball from Zuculini, advancing a few steps and shooting from the penalty arc a ball close to the left of Juan Carlos’ goalpost. Just 4 minutes into the game and the team was already ahead on the scoreboard.
Starting from there, the match was a red ad white monologue, with control of the ball, good attack and danger plays, always dangerous whenever our team set their sights on Juan Carlos’ goal. This is how the second goal matured. Godin forced Juan Carlos to intervene in a lab move in the 9th minute and, later, it was Griezmann, Giménez and Koke who were warning the red and white goalkeeper. But the one who did not fail was Saúl on 39 minutes. A throw-in by Gámez to the inside of the box was sot on the move by Giménez and Saúl, in his comeback after the injury suffered at Leverkusen, put the 0-2 on the scoreboard.
The second half had the same script as the first. Atlético de Madrid, lord and master of the game, was closer to scoring the third than Córdoba shortening distances. Not even with the substitutions did the Andalucian team show signs of danger because they found a solid team opposite them. A long shot from Bebé on 77 minutes that crashed into the crosspiece to lay siege on Oblak and the Slovenian goalkeeper saved a dangerous header from Crespo in the 84th.
Comfortable victory of an Atlético de Madrid that won again away from home in League play, after having done it at Ipurúa against Eibar last January 31st. Now, thinking about Tuesday’s match at the Calderon against Real Sociedad.
