A goal that was worth its weight in gold
Atletico Madrid beat Sevilla at the Sanchez Pizjuan with a goal from Falcao, who has 25 league goals, surpassing last seasons tally. Three points for Atletico clinching the goal of Champions League football next year.
Seville 0-1 Atletico Madrid
Sevilla: Beto, Cala, Botia (Mature, 59 '), Fernando Navarro (Baba, 78'); Coke, Rakitic, Kondogbia, Alberto Moreno Nava, Negredo and Reyes (Perotti, 67 ').
Atletico Madrid: Courtois, Juanfran, Godin, Miranda, Filipe Luis, Koke (Saul, 88 '), Mario Suarez, Gabi, Cristian Rodríguez (Raul Garcia, 63'), Diego Costa (Adrian, 67 ') and Falcao.
Referee: González González (Castilian-Leonese Committee). He showed yellow cards to Botia (36 ') for the home side and to Falcao (10'), Godin (24 '), Mario Suárez (57'), Diego Costa (59 ') and Courtois (90') for the visitors.
THE GOAL:
0-1. 75 '. Adrian sends in a cross which Raúl García drives across the goal, with Falcao nudging it on target
Diego Pablo Simeone’s men put in a solid performance and were rewarded for their hard work, in the Sanchez Pizjuan. Falcao's goal in the 75th minute was the difference between the two side, but Seville searched for the equaliser but the Atleti defense led by Courtois was unbeatable.
Atletico Madrid went out on to the pitch of Sanchez Pizjuan knowing what they had to do. It was vital to get a win before hosting Real Madrid in the derby on Saturday. And the disciples of Diego Pablo Simeone showed their strengths again, solid in defense and midfield and very dangerous going forward.
Sevilla came out with a 3-4-3, although in defence that became a 5-3-2, as Coke and Alberto Moreno had to work both the attack and defence. The game started brightly with both sides playing with a lot of intensity.
The first chance for Atletico Madrid came from the boots of Mario Suarez in the 5th minute after Falcao and Cristian Rodriguez had linked up well in the area. It took fifteen minutes Sevilla to react with Negredo who sent his shot high to the right.
Seville had more control of the ball in the first half, but each time Atletico got on the ball they looked dangerous. The whites, however, were the ones who go the next chance when Reyes had a shot deflected on the half hour mark.
After the break, Seville did not waste time in trying to beat Courtois, just two minutes in to the half Coke tested the Belgian who made a superb save. For Atletico it looked like it would be a very different half to the first half, controlling the ball more and more of a feeling that the game could be won.
Seville had focused their battle on Diego Costa, looking to wind the forward up resulting in him recovering a yellow card.
THE STAT
- 25
- the number of goals scored in the league this season Falcao
Falcao came close on 61 minutes with a header that missed the bottom right corner of Beto’s goal. Not long after Simeone introduced Raúl García and Adrian two key players in making of Falcao’s goal. Adrian crossed to ball from the left and Rau Garcia volleyed back across the face of goal, the shot seemed to be going just wide of the goal before the Columbians outstretched leg diverted the ball in to the net for his 25th goal of the season.
Sevilla threw everything they had at Atleti in the final stages of the game and had four scoring opportunities but Courtois was on top form and looked unbeatable with his solid defence in front of him. A major victory for Atletico Madrid who move on to 68 points ahead of the derby on Saturday at the Calderon against second-placed Real Madrid.