Atlético have their streak broken and lose to Málaga at the Calderón (0-3)
Rondón stands out as the best player for the visitors
Atlético de Madrid let a good chance to solidify their hold on European spots slip away against Málaga. The Madrid side fell hard (0-3) to Pellegrini’s squad in a game with few chances for the ‘colchoneros’, as the team from Andalusia were able to lean on their veteran experience at the Vicente Calderón. Goals from Rondón, who was the best player of the match, Baptista and Maresca ended Atleti’s hopes.
Quique Sánchez Flores’ men went into the match with sky high morale. The fact is that the team had earned amazing results recently and they didn’t want their streak to come to an end. Facing them was a Málaga side attempting to stay out of relegation spots. The manager from Madrid gave Diego Costa another start up front after the slight ankle sprain that he suffered during the week.
The first clear chance for the home team arrived from the feet of Brazilian Elías, who slipped and was unable to get off a good shot after a fine pass from Raúl García. Atlético de Madrid kept possession of the ball in the opening minutes, while Málaga waited for them to make a mistake. Batista was active and made himself the most offensive and dangerous player for the ‘blanquiazules’.
Pellegrini’s lads began to slowly awake and create more danger around David De Gea’s goal. The goalkeeper was forced into a nice save off a Rondón shot. The connection between Diego Costa, Reyes and Kun Agüero wasn’t working, but even so the Argentine was the player who the visitors feared most. An injury to Colombian defender Luis Perea 20 minutes in led to home grown player Domínguez coming on.
Málaga evened things up in the run of play and took the lead when Rondón headed in a great pass from Jesus Gámez. Atlético couldn’t connect with their forwards and Reyes wasn’t making his presence felt. The visitors knew that Kun was the key piece in Quique’s scheme, and didn’t allow him to move freely.
Things weren’t going well at the Calderón and Málaga weren’t wasting chances to terrorize the ‘rojiblancos’. Rondón, very active, was standing out thanks to his fighting spirit and skill, but in the 35th minute Baptista left the Atleti fans perplexed. The Brazilian boosted the lead with a fantastic header back across the face of the goal and inside a surprised De Gea’s far post. Down 0-2 on the scoreboard, Málaga were heating up and Quique’s men didn’t offer up many solutions. The first half ended with a good shot from Kun from outside the area, but it sailed high and left Atlético with a bad taste going into the dressing room. The fact is that the Andalusia side was well-organized on the pitch and the home team was unable to open spaces.
In the second half, Quique’s men came out with more intensity, but the gap was too big to bite into. Málaga weren’t going to let them have their way and played calmly with the lead. Quique had a difficult task ahead of him and sent on Diego Forlán to try and improve the attack. Atleti didn’t want to let the chance to move up a spot in the table pass them by.
It was hard for Atlético to create chances as Málaga remained well-ordered. In the 68th minute, Uruguayan Forlán tried his luck from outside the area with a strong shot that went just wide. The match wasn’t providing much excitement to those in the stands. Although Atlético were forced to push forwards towards the goal, they weren’t seeing many opportunities. A free kick from José Antonio Reyes with a half-hour left added some rhythm, but again the shot flew over the crossbar.
The side from the banks of the Manzanares pressured harder in the final minutes. A free kick from Forlán almost cut into the lead, but Willy made a good hand save to keep the ball out. Málaga’s response came from Rondón, as the Venezuelan was in a state of grace. He almost built on the lead, but his shot was a bit weak and ended meekly in De Gea’s hands.
Maresca put the icing on the cake for the Andalusia squad after a play in which De Gea parried away a diagonal shot from Baptista, but the former Sevilla player fired home the rebound. In the waning moments, Diego Costa and Forlán, on the same play, had two clear chances to score a consolation goal, but luck also allied with the visitors. Atlético had little more to offer the public and bowed out, but now have three more games left in the season to reach their goal of clinching a European spot.
ATLÉTICO DE MADRID, 0; LEVANTE, 3 (Rondón, Baptista y Maresca).
Atlético de Madrid: De Gea; Ujfalusi, Perea (Domínguez, 19’), Godín, Filipe; Mario Suárez, Raúl García (Forlán, 59’), Elías (Koke, 46’), Reyes; Kun Agüero and Diego Costa.(Portillo, 87’).
Málaga: Willy; Jesús Gámez, Kris, Demichelis, Eliseu; Camacho, Apoño; Seba Fernández, Baptista, Duda (Sandro Silva, 69’) and Rondón (Maresca, 83’).
Referee: Iglesias Villanueva (C. Gallego). Mostró cartulina amarilla del Atlético de Madrid a Diego Costa (26’) y Ujfalusi (41’); por parte del Málaga amonestó a Duda (26’), Demichelis (72’) y Jesús Gámez (77’).
Game Notes: Estadio Vicente Calderón. Round 35 of La Liga BBVA. A minute of silence was held for golfer Severiano Ballestros, who passed away on Saturday morning.
Goals:
0-1 (28’). Rondón gives Málaga the lead after heading in a great pass from Jesús Gámez.
0-2 (35’). Baptista scores the second on a header.
0-3 (83’). Maresca scores the third off a rebound from De Gea.
Quique Sánchez Flores’ men went into the match with sky high morale. The fact is that the team had earned amazing results recently and they didn’t want their streak to come to an end. Facing them was a Málaga side attempting to stay out of relegation spots. The manager from Madrid gave Diego Costa another start up front after the slight ankle sprain that he suffered during the week.
The first clear chance for the home team arrived from the feet of Brazilian Elías, who slipped and was unable to get off a good shot after a fine pass from Raúl García. Atlético de Madrid kept possession of the ball in the opening minutes, while Málaga waited for them to make a mistake. Batista was active and made himself the most offensive and dangerous player for the ‘blanquiazules’.
Pellegrini’s lads began to slowly awake and create more danger around David De Gea’s goal. The goalkeeper was forced into a nice save off a Rondón shot. The connection between Diego Costa, Reyes and Kun Agüero wasn’t working, but even so the Argentine was the player who the visitors feared most. An injury to Colombian defender Luis Perea 20 minutes in led to home grown player Domínguez coming on.
Málaga evened things up in the run of play and took the lead when Rondón headed in a great pass from Jesus Gámez. Atlético couldn’t connect with their forwards and Reyes wasn’t making his presence felt. The visitors knew that Kun was the key piece in Quique’s scheme, and didn’t allow him to move freely.
Things weren’t going well at the Calderón and Málaga weren’t wasting chances to terrorize the ‘rojiblancos’. Rondón, very active, was standing out thanks to his fighting spirit and skill, but in the 35th minute Baptista left the Atleti fans perplexed. The Brazilian boosted the lead with a fantastic header back across the face of the goal and inside a surprised De Gea’s far post. Down 0-2 on the scoreboard, Málaga were heating up and Quique’s men didn’t offer up many solutions. The first half ended with a good shot from Kun from outside the area, but it sailed high and left Atlético with a bad taste going into the dressing room. The fact is that the Andalusia side was well-organized on the pitch and the home team was unable to open spaces.
In the second half, Quique’s men came out with more intensity, but the gap was too big to bite into. Málaga weren’t going to let them have their way and played calmly with the lead. Quique had a difficult task ahead of him and sent on Diego Forlán to try and improve the attack. Atleti didn’t want to let the chance to move up a spot in the table pass them by.
It was hard for Atlético to create chances as Málaga remained well-ordered. In the 68th minute, Uruguayan Forlán tried his luck from outside the area with a strong shot that went just wide. The match wasn’t providing much excitement to those in the stands. Although Atlético were forced to push forwards towards the goal, they weren’t seeing many opportunities. A free kick from José Antonio Reyes with a half-hour left added some rhythm, but again the shot flew over the crossbar.
The side from the banks of the Manzanares pressured harder in the final minutes. A free kick from Forlán almost cut into the lead, but Willy made a good hand save to keep the ball out. Málaga’s response came from Rondón, as the Venezuelan was in a state of grace. He almost built on the lead, but his shot was a bit weak and ended meekly in De Gea’s hands.
Maresca put the icing on the cake for the Andalusia squad after a play in which De Gea parried away a diagonal shot from Baptista, but the former Sevilla player fired home the rebound. In the waning moments, Diego Costa and Forlán, on the same play, had two clear chances to score a consolation goal, but luck also allied with the visitors. Atlético had little more to offer the public and bowed out, but now have three more games left in the season to reach their goal of clinching a European spot.
ATLÉTICO DE MADRID, 0; LEVANTE, 3 (Rondón, Baptista y Maresca).
Atlético de Madrid: De Gea; Ujfalusi, Perea (Domínguez, 19’), Godín, Filipe; Mario Suárez, Raúl García (Forlán, 59’), Elías (Koke, 46’), Reyes; Kun Agüero and Diego Costa.(Portillo, 87’).
Málaga: Willy; Jesús Gámez, Kris, Demichelis, Eliseu; Camacho, Apoño; Seba Fernández, Baptista, Duda (Sandro Silva, 69’) and Rondón (Maresca, 83’).
Referee: Iglesias Villanueva (C. Gallego). Mostró cartulina amarilla del Atlético de Madrid a Diego Costa (26’) y Ujfalusi (41’); por parte del Málaga amonestó a Duda (26’), Demichelis (72’) y Jesús Gámez (77’).
Game Notes: Estadio Vicente Calderón. Round 35 of La Liga BBVA. A minute of silence was held for golfer Severiano Ballestros, who passed away on Saturday morning.
Goals:
0-1 (28’). Rondón gives Málaga the lead after heading in a great pass from Jesús Gámez.
0-2 (35’). Baptista scores the second on a header.
0-3 (83’). Maresca scores the third off a rebound from De Gea.
