Keylor put the brake on Atlético at the Ciudad de Valencia
Atlético de Madrid went down at the Ciudad de Valencia with an own goal from Filipe Luis and another from Barral. Our guys crashed with Keylor Navas, who was Levante’s hero with his saves.
Levante: Keylor Navas; Pedro López, David Navarro, Vyntra, Juanfran; Rubén García (Sergio, 70’), Simao, Diop, Sissoko (Ivansichtz, 59’); Casadesús and Barral (Ángel, 80’).
Atlético de Madrid: Courtois; Alderweireld, Godín, Miranda, Filipe Luis; Raúl García (Arda Turan, 46’), Tiago, Gabi, Koke (Diego Ribas, 61’); Villa (Adrián, 46’) and Diego Costa.
Referee: González González (Castilla-León Committee). Booked the locals Barral (60’), Simao (72’); and the visiting Tiago (53’), Godín (76’), Arda Turan (77’).
Events: Round 36 of the League Championship. Ciudad de Valencia Stadium. Almost full house, with more than 9.000 Atlético fans in the stands. Atlético played with the second kit, yellow shirt with blue sleeves and yellow shorts and socks.
GOALS:
1-0. 7’. Filipe Luis, own goal, scores the goal when trying to clear a corner kick from Sissoko.
2-0. 69’. Barral scores after a midfield from Casadesús
Unexpected defeat at the Ciudad de Valencia against a Levante that seemed to play for their lives and greatly celebrated their triumph. Atlético de Madrid made more than enough merits to not lose, but an own goal from Filipe Luis at the beginning and another from Barral halfway through the second half knocked the leader out.
Atlético de Madrid took the Ciudad de Valencia field with their sights on winning and have the League closer and truth be told, they soon met a stroke of bad luck when a corner kick shot by Sissoko was parried by Filipe Luis trying to clear it towards the goal and Courtois couldn’t stop it. Following this, Keylor Navas avoided the tie in a ball from Raúl García at the first chance our team had. Villa shot high at the next rebound. In the first half, Alderweireld tried his luck and Levante’s goalkeeper cleared as best he could.
The first half was uneventful, but the second half was clearly ours’. With Arda Turan and Adrián taking the field, the team attacked more. Arda headed a ball high at 55, then it was Filipe who tried at 62 and with Keylor beaten, it was Navarro who saved under the woodwork. At 66 it was Alderweireld who shot and a monumental hand of the goalie saved his team. With a dedicated Atlético came the second local goal in a fast counterattack that was capped by Barral.
It wasn’t Atlético de Madrid’s day because the team kept attacking and playing better than Levante but Caparrós’s team left no gaps and it was impossible to knock down that wall. Adrián crashed a ball on a post, Diego Ribas also tried in vain. Now, we have to turn the page, think of winning Málaga on Sunday and stay ahead towards the League’s end.
