The Atlético de Madrid came to the party with the urgency of getting three points to continue in the race for the title of LaLiga, especially after a pair of selections that left several players a bit exhausted. However, the 1-1 tie against a strong Espanyol at home made the mattressers move away to six points of the leader, the FC Barcelona, although with a more played match. For his part, Espanyol showed a remarkable improvement under the direction of Manolo González, achieving a very valuable point in his struggle to stay in the category.
Initial alignments
- Espanyol (4-4-2): Joan García; Omar El Hilali, Marash Kumbulla, Leandro Cabrera, Carlos Romero; Jofre Carreras, Urko González, Pol Lozano, Javi Puado (C); Alex Král, Roberto Fernández.
- Banking: Pacheco (P.s.), Fortuño (P.s.), Sergi Gómez, Calero, Tejero, Hinojo, Expósito, Aguado, Pere Milla, Antoniu, Cheddira, Veliz.
- Lows: Gragera and Catalá.
- Atletico de Madrid (5-2-3): Jan Oblak (C); Marcos Llorente, César Azpilicueta, Clément Lenglet, Robin Le Normand, Samuel Lino; Pablo Barrios, Conor Gallagher, Giuliano Simeone; Antoine Griezmann, Alexander Sorloth.
- Banking: Musso (P.s.), Gomis (P.s.), Molina, Giménez, Witsel, Galán, Reinildo, De Paul, Lemar, Riquelme, Julián Alvarez, Belaid.
- Lows: Strap (sanctioned).
Espanyol
- Tactical provision: Manolo González bet for a compact 4-4-2, looking for defensive solidarity and quick exits to the contragolpe. The Puado-Roberto couple tried to take advantage of the spaces left by the athletic defense, while Král and Pol Lozano managed to close the center of the field.
- Offensive phase: The Espanyol had a total of 8 shots, but it only got 1 out to the door, which shows how complicated it was to give them their opportunities. The only goal of the party came from a criminal that Puado turned into the 71st minute, after Lenglet made a mistake about Cabrera. Jofre and Puado were the most active in the attack, while Carlos Romero shone with his great physical effort on the left side.
- Defensive phase: The parrots showed a great intensity, gaining duels (53% success) and pushing high to uncomfortable the ball exit of the Atletico. Kumbulla and Cabrera were solid in the axis of the zaga, although they suffered in the goal of Azpilicueta for an action at the limit.
- Tactical Key: The entrance of Cheddira by Roberto in the 65th minute gave more depth to the attack, while Aguado (minute 75, by Urko) carried control in the middle. The Espanyol took advantage of his strength at home (without losing since October) to neutralize Atlético in the second half.
Atletico de Madrid
- Tactical provision: Diego Simeone opted for a 5-2-3 with three power stations (Azpilicueta, Lenglet, Le Normand), seeking defensive solidity and projection for the bands with Llorente and Lino. Giuliano Simeone, headline for the first time after the paraon, accompanied Barrios and Gallagher in the middle, while Sorloth and Griezmann led the attack.
- Offensive phase: The Atletico had control of the ball with 61% possession and carried out 13 shots, of which 2 were at the door. The goal of Azpilicueta, which arrived at the 38th minute, was an impressive volley, although it generated controversy over a possible push from Sorloth to Kumbulla in the previous move. Griezmann and Sorloth were not at their best, and the lack of depth in the game became evident after the break.
- Defensive phase: The five ombudsmen line worked in the first half, but it broke down after the tie. Lenglet committed the 1-1 penalty to Espanyol, and Le Normand suffered with the speed of Puado. Samuel Lino had trouble holding Jofre down the right lane.
- Tactical KeySimeone made changes to seek victory: Julián Álvarez entered by Giuliano Simeone (minute 70), bringing more mobility, and De Paul replaced Barrios (minute 78) to give clarity at the exit. However, the team did not manage to specify their occasions in the final section.
Changes in the Party
- Espanyol:
- Minute 65: Cheddira by Roberto Fernández (seeking more presence in the area).
- Minute 75: Alvaro Aguado by Urko González (to gain control in the middle).
- Minute 85: Pere Milla by Jofre Carreras (refresh the attack).
- Atletico de Madrid:
- Minute 70: Julián Alvarez by Giuliano Simeone (more mobility in attack).
- Minute 78: Rodrigo De Paul by Pablo Barrios (best balloon exit).
- Minute 85: Reinildo por Samuel Lino (reforcing defense after the tie).
MVP of the Meeting
César Azpilicueta It was the party MVP. Atletico’s veteran advocate scored an out-of-arm flap in the 38th minute, opening the marker, and showed a great defensive level, winning duels and cutting several dangerous Espanyol plays. His experience was key in a very much wear-out party.
Arbitrary and VAR polyester
The party, led by Javier Alberola Rojas and with Trujillo Suárez in the VAR, had two controversial plays that generated controversy:
- Gol de Azpilicueta (0-1, minute 38):
- Description: Azpilicueta marked with a spectacular turn after a center, but Espanyol claimed a previous fault of Sorloth over Kumbulla in the jump. The images show that Sorloth knocked down the perico center with a contact to the limit, but neither the referee nor the VAR intervened.
- Impact: Manolo González protested with anger, and in the Movistar+ retransmission it was pointed out that “the action was on the verge of lack.” Iturralde González, an arbitration analyst at SER, said: “It’s a play at the limit, but the VAR should have checked the contact, because Sorloth uses the body in an antireglamentary way.”
- Penalty not Pited to Jofre (minute 45+2):
- Description: Jofre Carreras asked for criminality after a possible demolition of Samuel Lino in the area, but Alberola Rojas let go and the VAR did not intervene. Repeats show a mild contact, but not enough to pitar penalti.
- Impact: The graph of the RCDE Stadium exploded in protests, and Espanyol shared images on social networks questioning the decision. However, Iturralde González endorsed the decision: “There is no clear contact, Jofre seeks the criminality.”
Post-Partido statements
- Diego Simeone (Atlético de Madrid): “The tie was fair. We had no clear gol situations, we controlled better in the first time, but in the second part we committed the penalti in an isolated play. It’s a complicated moment, but we have to keep working. Now we think of the Cup before Barcelona.” Simeone was resigned and avoided entering into arbitral controversy.
- Manolo González (Espanyol): “It is an important point to a team fighting for the League. Their goal comes from a clear fault, Sorloth knocks down Kumbulla, but we are already used to these decisions. My players have given everything, and I am proud.” Gonzalez let her frustrate the arbitration.
- Jan Oblak (Atlético de Madrid): “Two important points escape. I don’t know why we’re not winning, it’s a hard time. Now we have the Cup, we have to get together and do better against Barcelona.”
- Javi Puado (Espanyol): “It is a good point, the Atletic is a very strong team. We got behind with a goal that shouldn’t have come up, but we’re still fighting and the criminal gave us the tie. We want to stay that way.”
- César Azpilicueta (Atlético de Madrid): “I count on the goal, but we go with a bitter taste. We had the game under control, but the penalti hurt us. We have to keep fighting, there is still League.”
- Fran Garagarza ( Espanyol Sports Director): “Once again arbitral decisions that harm us. Lack in the Atletico goal is evident, but it seems that Espanyol is not respected. This has to change.”
Opinion of World Sports Journals
The international and national press highlighted the tie as a blow to Atlético’s aspirations in LaLiga, while Espanyol was praised for its resistance.
- Spain:
- Brand brand: “The Atletico can’t with the Espanyol and stays at six points in Barcelona. A Lenglet Penalty and a controversial Azpilicueta goal marked a flat match for mattressers.”
- AS: “Start with polemics in Cornellá. The goal of Azpilicueta, preceded by an unmarked fault, and the penalty for Espanyol left an equal party but with arbitral complaints.”
- World of Sports: “The Espanyol frys the Atletico, which says goodbye to his title options. Azpilicueta scored a coup, but Puado’s criminality did justice.”
- Sport: “The Atlético departs from the struggle for LaLiga after tied with a brave Espanyol. The arbitral controversy, with a badly validated goal, became protagonist again.”
- International:
- L’Équipe (France): “Griezmann and Sorloth did not shine, and the Atlético left two key points in Cornellá. The Espanyol, with a great Puado, took advantage of a penalty to pack.”
- The Guardian (United Kingdom): “A tie that knows how to defeat the Atletico. The polemic in Azpilicueta’s goal and the lack of offensive ideas condemned the Simeone’s.”
- ESPN (Global): “The Atlético de Madrid moves away from the top after a vibrant tie. Arbitral decisions, such as Azpilicueta’s goal, generated controversy.”
- Olé (Argentina): “Julián Álvarez came in, but could not change the game. The Atletic tied and fired from LaLiga. The Espanyol showed character.”
Extended Analysis
The match was a reflection of the contrasting moments that cross both teams. The Athletic had the control of the ball and generated more opportunities, but their lack of aiming and some defense errors, such as the penalty committed by Lenglet, were billed. On the other hand, Espanyol showed a remarkable evolution under the direction of Manolo González, who implemented a clear strategy: high pressure, rapid transitions and a solid defense. The entrance of Cheddira and Aguado gave the team more control and depth, while the changes made by the Atletico failed to alter the course of the party.
Arbitral decisions, especially the goal of Azpilicueta, fueled the discontent of Espanyol, which has been protesting for weeks against him. The tie left the Atlético six points from Barcelona and three from Real Madrid, with one more match, which complicates its struggle for the title. For Espanyol, adding this point is a breakthrough in its goal of permanence, demonstrating that they can compete with the big ones.
In short, the Atletic needs to react immediately so as not to be left behind in LaLiga, while Espanyol continues to grow as a team and gain confidence in his struggle to stay in First Division. Arbitral decisions, once again, played a crucial role in the final outcome.
