Great end to a dream season
Atletico won 3-1 in the Romareda in a crazy end to the game, thanks to goals from Arda and two from Diego Costa to close a dream season for Atletico and their fans that have enjoyed another year full of successes.
Zaragoza 1-3 Atletico Madrid
Zaragoza: Leo Franco Fernandez, Loovens, Alvaro, Abraham Apoño, Pinter (Movilla, 46 '), Victor (Bienvenu, 63'), Mountaineer, Orti (Rochina, 72 ') and Postiga.
Atletico Madrid: Courtois, Juanfran, Miranda, Pulido, Insua, Tiago, Koke, Cristian Rodríguez (Arda, 75 '), Raul Garcia (Óliver, 63'), Adrian (Aquino, 88 ') and Diego Costa.
Goals:
Min.84. 0-1: Arda Turan
Min.89. 1-1: Helder Postiga
Min.90. 1-2: Diego Costa
Min.91. 1-3; Diego Costa
Referee: Estrada Fernández booked Postiga (57 '), Leo Franco (75') for the hosts and Tiago (35') for Atletico.
Atletico finished the season in La Romareda. Against a Zaragoza side looking to stay up on the final day. The hosts needed to win and hope other results went their way on the last day of the season. Manolo Jimenez's team started strong and played close to Courtois area. The Belgian, who was looking to secure Zamora, kept out Victor who tried from inside the box with a left foot shot after 5 minutes.
Winning the Zamora of the League is not a matter of luck, and Courtois was determined to prove that a few minutes later, clearing a shot from Apoño. They were the first two chances of a meeting which Atletico was not willing to lose face and in which only the post prevented them from going in front from a corner that Diego Costa turned on to the woodwork.
The game was end to end with neither side controlling it and chances coming for both side. The speed of Diego Costa allowed the Brazilian to serve the ball to Cristian Rodriguez who came close to scoring. Now Atletico clearly had control of the game and began to boss things. Just before half time they thought that theyd opened the scoring but the referee disallowed after Miranda finished off a lost ball but the linesman had raised his flag.
In those minutes before the break, Atletico pushed on and Cristian Rodriguez first and then Diego Costa, in a one on one both had chances but the sides went in to the break at 0-0. The restart saw more chances for both sides, but Victor and Diego Costa could not take the chances inside the 10th minute of the second half.
With 20 minutes left, the pace of the game slowed down and it looked like it would just peter out. But the introduction of Arda Turan breathed life in to the match and the Turkish midfielder picked up a ball in the left corner of the area and in a superb individual action succeed in opening the scoring and in doing so set up a crazy final few minutes. With two minutes . Aquino took to the field making his debut with the first team, and just moments later Postiga pounced on a rebound to equalise in the 89th minute and the game looked set to en in a draw.
Nothing was what it seemed and in the next attack Diego Costa received a cross from Aquino from the left to make it 2-1 and it wasn’t over there as Diego Costa put the finishing touches on an incredible season making it 3-1. The best finish impossible for a dream season that has been enjoyed by all Atletico fans.