Guiliano Simeone sets the pace for Atlético to defeat Las Palmas | Soccer | Sports

The respectful silence with which the anthem of the Valencian Community was heard in the Metropolitan revealed that it was not a desirable day to play football. Put into it, Atlético won with Giuliano Simeone as the opener and Sorloth as the final finisher of a victory that Atlético needed after the last struggles and with Wednesday's visit to PSG in the background. Cholo's son leads the way for a team that is still searching. Atlético was superior from the start, more solid with the recovered Lenglet and Barrios. He had a couple of chances that interrupted the silent game that was taking place in the stands.

The staff was not in the mood for hustle and bustle. In the midst of that silence, only broken when there was a brilliant action, Giuliano burst into space at speed after a long pass from Molina. He continued his run towards the rival goal with a header with which he tamed the bounce of the ball and stood in front of Cillesen. The coach's son crossed the ball to the corner and shot to the corner flag to celebrate his first goal as a player for the red and white first team. In the band, his father, probably for whatever reason, held back. It may have been one of the goals that he has externally celebrated with the least effusiveness since he led Atlético. Internally, the happiness must have been double, for who and how he scored. The play was rehearsed in training on Saturday. In just one month, Giuliano has saved his father and his colleagues' furniture three times. He was decisive in the victory against Leganés, he scored a penalty in Vic when no one was ruling out a possible historic debacle in the Cup and this Sunday he opened the scoring. It never ceases to draw attention to who are the current owners of the lanes in Atlético. With Llorente injured and Molina not recovering his level, Giuliano has taken the position. On the left, with Lino and Riquelme in low hours, plus Reinildo's limitations with the ball have elevated Javi Galán to occupy the left lane. Now, Atlético plays with two bulls in the lanes. Two players who stampede forward to attack for speed without caring about what they hear in front and behind. For a team that teems with timidity, the vitality of its wingers is an appreciable asset.

Giuliano's goal did justice in that Atlético was the team that played the most in the opposite field. He lacked brilliance, but he lived freely in the vicinity of his area. Their most unbalanced players with the ball, such as Campaña, Kirian and Moleiro, did not work for Las Palmas. Only Favio Silva won in the aerial duels with Lenglet to prolong long balls or hold them. He beat the Frenchman in all of them, who still lacked flight hours to be more forceful in this type of actions. In one of them, Favio Silva made a wall with Sandro and he threw him towards Oblak. Heeled, the Portuguese attacker's shot was hard, but focused. That was the only score for Las Palmas in the entire match, shortly before Giuliano opened the scoring. Then, on the brink of half-time, a combination between the youngest of the Simeone and Barrios ended with a thread from the latter that Griezmann hit the crossbar.

With the lead on the scoreboard, Simeone ordered two changes of different nature. He sat Barrios out as a precaution with a view to Wednesday's game and relegated Lino, inconsequential for another game. De Paul entered first, who had to listen to the boos of a crowd unhappy with his performance. The Argentine midfielder's pride must have been stung, as he gave him intensity and fine footing. The first time he showed it, he left Nahuel Molina against Cillesen, but his compatriot was late to put his boot in and hit the Dutch goalkeeper's head. After reinstatement he faded and the concussion prevention protocol was applied. The roulette wheels of changes that followed in one team and the other did not change the atmosphere of the game. It was still Atlético's, which sealed the victory after De Paul invented a telescopic pass for Sorloth. The Norwegian, who needs large doses of self-confidence after his fateful night against Lille, defined forcefully to close the game. On the wing, Simeone celebrated Sorloth's success with relief because he needs his goals to straighten the course of his team.