Atlético de Madrid fell (2-0) against Deportivo Alavés this Sunday on matchday 32 of LaLiga EA Sports held in Mendizorroza, a weak match for the rojiblancos in the wake of elimination this week in the Champions League, submitted by a Basque team that sought it and deserved it.
Diego Pablo Simeone’s men had a mixture of losing their legs and their mood and in front they encountered a rival who bit during the 90 minutes. After three consecutive defeats, Alavés rebelled against that dynamic and played an almost perfect match, ideal for the goal of permanence, minimizing Atleti at the top and punishing their doubts at the back.
The elimination against Borussia Dortmund did not bring to Vitoria a beaten Madrid team, as Luis García Plaza feared in the previous match, but rather an Atlético without intensity and injured. In addition, the rulings appeared behind that condemn the red and whites this year and Benavídez put the locals ahead after 15 minutes. Already in stoppage time, Luis Rioja scored a great goal for the final 2-0.
The ‘Cholo’ team showed their poor image this season away from home with the addition of the emotional exhaustion that the visit to Dortmund entailed. An opportunity by Ángel Correa in the last minutes, which Sivera saved well, was the offensive baggage of an Atlético that sees Athletic Club three points behind, in the defense of fourth place, with a direct duel between the two next week in the Metropolitan.
As Plaza also accepted in that press conference, Atlético had been failing in its strength at the back and, after 15 minutes, it made itself felt with two poorly cleared balls until Benavídez’s screwed shot arrived (1-0). Alavés felt comfortable looking long for Kike García and a well-motivated Giuliano Simeone.
The son of ‘Cholo’, in his first start, had the second shortly after, while neither Griezmann nor Samuel Lino appeared at Atlético. Alavés pushed and were also close to being able to seal the penalty with a penalty from Azpilicueta on the edge of half-time, which Gil Manzano corrected with the VAR warning.
One more week of controversy with the hands that, however, Alavés did not accuse, since the script remained the same in the resumption. Atlético was incapable of having the ball, stealing from the top or having a dangerous counterattack. The entry of Saúl Ñíguez, Reinildo or Riquelme, nor that of youth player Abdellah, changed anything.
Only that occasion for Correa, in his only connection with Griezmann, came close to giving something positive to the rojiblancos, who conceded Rioja’s great goal as a farewell. Those from ‘Cholo’ will have to forget their sorrows quickly to avoid losing the next ticket to the ‘Champions’, while Alavés gave themselves a well-deserved tribute in Mendizorroza.
DATASHEET.
–RESULT: DEPORTIVO ALAVÉS, 2 – ATLÉTICO DE MADRID, 0. (1-0, at half-time).
–ALIGNMENTS.
HOWEVER: Severa; Gorsabel (Rioja, min.88), Tenaglia, Rafa Marín, Abqar, Javi López; Blanco, Benavidez; Guridi (Guevara, min.70), Giuliano (Carlos Vicente, min.79); and Kike García (Panichelli, min.79).
ATLÉTICO DE MADRID: Oblak; Molina (Hermoso, min.81), Savic (Abdellah, min.81), Giménez, Azpilicueta (Reinildo, min.57), Lino; Barrios (Riquelme, min.67), Koke, De Paul (Saúl, rest); Correa and Griezmann.
–GOL:
1 – 0, min.15, Benavídez.
2 – 0, min.92, Rioja.
–REFEREE: Gil Manzano (C.Extremeño). He cautioned Guridi (min.2), López (min.6), Abqar (min.33), Benavídez (min.49) and Marín (min.69) for Alavés. And Correa (min.45), Azpilicueta (min.50) and Savic (min.69) at Atlético.
–STADIUM: Mendizorroza.