Diego Costa doesn’t rest
Atlético won a tough and well-planted Granada throughout the game with a goal from Diego Costa in the second half. In this way, Simeone’s team becomes sole leader of the BBVA League.
ATLÉTICO 1-0 GRANADA
Atlético: Courtois, Juanfran, Miranda, Godín, Insua, Tiago, Gabi, Cristian Rodríguez (Sosa, 56’), Arda (Diego, 60’), David Villa (Raúl García, 70’) and Diego Costa.
Granada: Roberto, Nyom, Bryan Angulo (Foulquier, 46’), Coeff (Ighalo,81’), Murillo, Recio, Fran Rico, Iturra, Brahimi, El Arabi and Riki (Buonanotte, 74’).
The goal:
1-0. Min 61. Diego Costa with a header from a good centre by Sosa from the corner.
Referee: Martínez Munuera, Valencian school. Booked Gabi (Min.41) in Atlético. On Granada’s part, Bryan Angulo (Min.29), Coeff (Min.39) and Brahimi (Min.44) were booked.
Events: Vicente Calderón Stadium, day 30 of the BBVA League. Before the start of the match, a minute of silence was observed in memory of former Atlético player Santiago Orgaz ‘Verde’ and former President of the Government Adolfo Suárez.
Atlético defended the leadership against Granada and, from minute one, Simeone’s team vigorously pursued the goal. Granada tried to control the ball so as not to leave spaces at the back, but little by little, they started yielding ground to the Atlético danger in each of their attacks. Arda monopolised the best Atlético opportunities. In the first one, the Turk couldn’t use a save to an empty goal, and in the second opportunity, his shot from the front passed beside the stock of the post. With a game more open, El Arabi, on the counter-attack, tried his luck with two shot without consequences for Courtois. An annulled goal from Tiago ended the first time with a goalless draw.
After their stop at the dressing rooms, Atlético were more engaged. Villa, with his head, was the first to test Roberto, who surely stopped the Asturian’s header. Immediately thereafter, Gabi decides to shoot from afar. The game increased its rhythm and intensity. With both teams going fast on the counter-attack, Atlético increased its presence in the box. Diego Costa had his first chance with a header that Roberto stopped on the goal-line. On his second consecutive chance, he was pitiless. The Atlético top goal-scorer, to Sosa’s centre from a corner kick, he overtook the Andalusian defence to score the night’s first goal on the Manzanares bank.
Granada wanted to stretch its attack looking for the draw; nevertheless, an orderly rear-guard from Atlético stopped each and every attempt in the game-play. With an almost unseen Courtois during the match, the Andalusian goalkeeper had to appear, to clear the day’s goal from a beautiful volley from Gabi. Under the direction of Diego Ribas, Simeone’s team calmed the game down from the centerfield and the stands became the 12th player, taking the team to the final whistle.
