Historic win over Celtic
Atlético de Madrid overcame Celtic on a spectacular European night. Griezmann and Morata, with braces, Lino and Saúl scored the goals against a Celtic side that played with 10 players from the 23rd minute due to Maeda's dismissal.
Atlético took to the pitch at the Cívitas Metropolitano aware of what was at stake on matchday four of the Champions League group stage. The team put Celtic under pressure, won the small duels and looked for speed down the flanks to cause damage and achieved their goal very early on. After a cross from Riquelme was cleared by a defender, the ball fell to Griezmann in the middle of the box and he fired a low left-footed shot into the goal after touching a defender. It was the sixth minute and the home side were already in the lead.
The team wanted more and on the quarter of an hour a quick counter-attack between Correa and Riquelme ended with a pass from the Argentine and the home-grown player's shot was saved by a defender inside the area. In the 23rd minute came a decisive play in the development of the match. Maeda made a very hard tackle on Hermoso that the referee gave a yellow card but the VAR called him to rectify it and sent off the Japanese. Then, in the 25th minute, Riquelme, very active and a constant nightmare for the Scots, played the ball into the box for Griezmann but the Frenchman's shot went narrowly wide.
However, Celtic did not let the man down and in one of their attacks Luis Palma swung in a corner that touched in Morata and forced Oblak to keep out the equaliser with a prodigious hand in the 28th minute. Atleti wanted the second before the break and Molina almost got it in the 30th minute after a change of direction by Griezmann and the Argentinian's shot went just wide of Hart's left-hand post. A second goal was to come late in the first half. In the third minute of stoppage time, Griezmann's cross was headed into the heart of the six-yard box by Giménez for Morata to tap home. It was 2-0 at the break.
Griezmann, a quarter of an hour after the restart, dealt with a rebound in the box with tremendous quality to beat Hart. Atleti wanted more to please the stadium and Lino, a minute after coming on, scored another goal with a right-footed shot from the left side of the box.
The party was on the pitch and in the stands. And then came the fifth, which wasn't bad either. A cross from Koke to the edge of the area was chested down by Lino for Morata to reach and, after controlling with his right foot, he launched a left-footed missile into the top corner of Hart's net. But that was not all. Atleti were looking for more and after Llorente's run and Lino's shot, the ball was left to Saúl who took advantage to round off a great European night for our team. Great match and historic goal to lead the group in the Champions League. It is the first time that Atlético scores with this difference in the Champions League. Next Sunday, at the Cívitas Metropolitano, next match in LaLiga against Villarreal.
