Decisive victory in San Mamés
Atlético de Madrid landed a decisive victory in the Leage in San Mamés, defeating a feisty Athletic who started the score with a goal from Muniain. Diego Costa tied before the interval and Koke decided the score aginst the lions in the beginning of the second half. The leader didn’t fail and came out of The Cathedral strengthened.
ATHLETIC CLUB 1 – 2 ATLÉTICO DE MADRID
Athletic: Iraizoz; Iraola, San José, Laporte, Balenziaga; Iturraspe; Susaeta (Guillermo, 71’), De Marcos (Toquero, 78’), Mikel Rico (Beñat, 83’), Muniain; and Aduriz.
Atlético de Madrid: Courtois; Juanfran, Miranda, Godín, Filipe Luis; Gabi, Mario Suárez; Sosa (Arda Turan, 56’), Raúl García (Cristian Rodríguez, 81’), Koke; and Diego Costa (Villa, 91’).
Referee: José Antonio Teixeira Vitienes (Cantabrian Committee). Expelled Laporte for a double yellow (70’ y 85’). Carded the Basques Iturraspe (63’), Muniain (79’) and Balenziaga (93’); and Gabi (42’) and Godín (59’) from Madrid.
GOALS:
1-0. 5’. Muniain receives a deep shot from San José and beats Courtois with a high ball.
1-1. 21’. Diego Costa receives a ball from Koke after stealing it from the centerfield, faces Iraizoz and crosses the Basque goal.
1-2. 55’. Koke sends a header to the net from a centre shot by Filipe Luis from inside the box.
The beginning of the game was frenetic. Both teams needed the victory. The Basques, to keep an advantageous fourth position, the Madrid team to, maintain the leadership. And it didn’t disappoint the fans. Muniain took advantage of the match’s first chance to score and delight the new San Mamés, but Atlético wasn’t willing. Diego Costa warned twice, first in minute 12 and later in minute 20, a save from Iraizoz and another shot that went out. But with the third came the tie goal. Diego Costa crossed in front of Iraizoz after a good steal from Koke and de Spanish-Brazilian scored the goal.
The match was for Atlético de Madrid. Especially because Simeone’s team was superior to Athletic throughout the match. The second goal could have come before the interval, in a beautiful play from Diego Costa, giving the ball from the heel to Filipe Luis and the Brazilian fullback went high. The Basques had their second opportunity of the forst half with a header from Susaeta that went wide by little.
Nevertheless, the second half had a stunning start, where Atlético de Madrid ended the Basque’s chances with a play from Diego Costa, whose shot was slightly stray. Later, a penalty not noted to the Atlético 19 by Laporte went to limbo. Nothing mattered because, not much later, a header from Koke from a shot by Filipe Luis in the box, the 1-2 was scored. The team from Bilbao could only try a header from Aduriz by a shot from Toquero, but a monumental hand from Courtois kept the score as was and wouldn’t change until the end.
The leader was unharmed at the new San Mamés, becoming the first team to win in both visits in the same season, and with the same result, to Athletic, both in the Cup and the League. Three golden points to stay on the top and one round less for the end. Now, back to preparing nest Tuesday’s match in the Camp Nou against Barcelona in the Champions League first leg of the quarter-final.
