A first-half goal from captain Antoine Griezmann gave Atletico Madrid a 1-0 win at third-division Marbella on Saturday to send them into the Copa del Rey round of 16 with a 13th straight victory all season. competitions combined.
This equates to Atletico’s best winning run and manager Diego Simeone’s best record at the club since the 2012/13 season.
It was a special match for the Argentine coach, who celebrated 13 years in charge of Atletico by returning to the Rosaleda Stadium where he made his coaching debut.
Simeone, however, was not on the bench following his red card for complaining during his side’s 2-1 win at Cacereno in the previous round.
“We are experiencing this series of victories with calm, with humility, focusing for the moment more on what we can do best in each match.“, Atletico assistant coach Nelson Vivas told reporters.
“We are satisfied and happy not only with the series of victories, but also with the qualification and to continue in the competition..»
Griezmann scored after 16 minutes when he grabbed a rebound from the Marbella goalkeeper who had blocked Giuliano Simeone’s point-blank attempt.
“We are doing well, the holidays have been good for us, it has been a difficult week of training, we have to improve things and keep dreaming“, Griezmann said.
Rodrigo De Paul thought he had extended the advantage early in the second half, but his effort was disallowed for handball and Conor Gallagher’s curling effort hit the post.
The visitors dominated the match and could have achieved a more convincing victory if not for poor finishing and a better defensive performance from Marbella after the break.
Atletico, second in the La Liga table and two points behind Real Madrid with a game in hand, will host Osasuna next Sunday.
