Atlético Madrid did things the hard way at the Estadio Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Saturday afternoon as they came back from an early Alavés penalty goal to beat the side from the north of Spain with a 2-1 win secured late on.
Javi Gala’s raised arm was foolish enough to see a penalty awarded by Víctor García Verdura, and Jon Guridi duly beat Jan Oblak on six minutes. It wasn’t until well into the second half that Atleti pulled back level, as Antoine Griezmann scored from another spot kick for handball, with Alexander Sørloth grabbing a winner on 86 minutes.
Here we take a look at some of the takeaways from the game.
Alexander Sørloth got his big moment
This was a huge moment not only in the course of the game, but also in Alexander Sørloth’s Atlético Madrid career. Coming off the bench at half-time, the Norwegian was Atleti’s hope to recover the game and he did just that. He may only have had two shots, but one was a header which saw a penalty awarded after Abdel Abqar handled to block it, and the other was an 86th minute winner which was superbly taken with a powerful finish from a chance worth just 0.15 xG.
Diego Simeone revealed that the two had a long conversation on Friday night, explaining, “we had one of those nice talks we have last night. We spoke clearly, explained what we need from him and how important he is. By chance, the goddess Fortuna came along, De Paul had great vision, a clearance and a goal. In a short period of time he gave us great quality, which is what counts.”
The coach ran down the touchline to celebrate with his forward, and it felt like a big moment. Sørloth had been a nuisance throughout, coming on with real motivation and fighting every loose ball. Where he had lacked that fight in some previous games, he couldn’t have been more involved against Alavés, winning four of his five duels.
Diego Simeone got it right in game 700
This was Diego Simeone’s 700th game in charge of Atlético Madrid, and he recorded his 413th victory, ahead of 156 draws and 131 losses, with Sørloth’s late strike being the 1169 goal scored under his leadership, with 326 clean sheets to boot. It’s an incredible record, aided by a 300th La Liga win from 491 games, joining Luis Aragonés and Miguel Muñoz in having reached that impressive number.
In part, the win game number 700 was down to Diego’s decision to bring on his own son, Giuliano. Picking up his third La Liga MVP award in as many games, Giuliano brought energy and perseverance, winning more fouls than anyone else on the field with three, and provided a crucial outlet down the right, and later left, flanks.
Post-match, Diego opened up on the landmark, saying, “As you see me, I live in the moment. We’re having a good time, and the players are working responsibly. I’m calm, at peace. I’m in a place that… I love so much, and that’s it. Goodbye.” He looked emotional as he departed, and sparked concern that it could have been an early farewell, only for El Cholo to post a clear message on Sunday morning with a video of a clip from him at the Calderón in 2016, saying “I’m staying”.
Ángel Correa is better off the bench
Starting for the first time in a month in La Liga, Ángel Correa will be disappointed with his failure to take his chance. Julián Álvarez returned from international duty with Argentina late on Thursday and Alexander Sørloth played 176 minutes for Norway, allowing Correa a rare shot at being in pole position to start as Atleti’s centre-forward. However, unlike the heroics of Bilbao and Paris, he went missing on the field.
Photo by Maria Gracia Jimenez/Soccrates/Getty Images
With only 30 touches, he won only two duels from seven attempts and failed to register a single shot at goal. The decision to bring him off on the hour mark was a desperate attempt to adapt to the game, a physical battle which was completely passing Correa by. With Álvarez on, dropping deep and connecting lines and drawing out defenders for Sørloth to run into space, the difference was crystal clear.
How fit was Marcos Llorente?
After seven weeks on the sidelines, this was Marcos Llorente’s first involvement since October 2nd and the 4-0 defeat to Benfica in Lisbon. He only got 45 minutes, despite having looked like a live wire at times down the right flank. His two shots from distance showed a kind of intention and drive that few others contributed in the first half, but he lacked the usual quality in his final ball in the opposing half.
The truth was that Llorente did not look as fit as he usually does. His explosive runs down the flank were limited and controlled, seemingly holding back occasionally. After so long out, that may not be a surprise and the half-time change may have been pre-arranged, but it does question what condition he is in and whether or not he’ll feature against Sparta Prague on Tuesday night.
Samuel Lino, on his way back?
One of the more positive displays from the starting line-up was that of Samuel Lino. Leading the game for completed dribbles, Lino was one of few players to show any real incision and ability as Atleti looked to break down Alavés’ low-block defence. While he still hasn’t hit the heights of 2023/24, this was one of his better performances this season and showed real promise.
It wasn’t all perfect. His miss, forcing a great save from Antonio Sivera from close range, was worth 0.17 xG inside the box and on 19 minutes, it would have changed the course of the game much earlier than it eventually did. But with Rodrigo Riquelme coming off the bench and looking just as poor as he has for much of the season, Lino’s role could be secure for a while yet.
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