Atlético put three past Deportivo
Not to be demoralised by the Messi show earlier in the day, Atlético didn't lose any ground on the leaders with a smart win over a woeful Depor side.
Sick of being accused of not scoring enough goals, Atleti are now making a habit of bagging three a game. While ex-Rojiblanco Diego Costa was overloading servers across the interwebs as he became this weekend’s hottest trending topic, Cholo’s men proved that even in the Spanish-nationalised Brazilian’s absence they don’t lack bite.
Today’s victims were the third successive La Liga side to ship three to the Madrid team. Like Valencia and Real Sociedad before them, Depor had to pick the ball out of the back of their net on three occasions against the division’s second placed side. For a club known as the mattress makers they sure don’t make things comfortable for their visitors.
Things got off to a bit slow start on the banks of Manzanares. Carrasco was back in the starting line-up, but in spite of all the zealous talk around the Spanish capital that his return from injury would provide a worryingly blunt attack with an extra bit of incision, Atleti’s front three didn’t look at all sharp in the first half.
Nonetheless, abject defending by the Galicians and the typical harrying we’ve come to expect from Simeone’s men meant it was just a question of time before the hosts broke the deadlock. And the answer was 18 minutes.
Filipe Luis bee lined down the left flank (as is his want) before sending an inviting ball into the mixer. Four Depor defenders watched the cross float over their heads and onto the noggin of a quick-to-react Saul Niguez, who stirred the ball past Lux expertly. 1-0.
As the 21-year-old ran to the corner flag to celebrate, Arribas and Laure exchanged dispairing looks with each other as if they had just remembered communication was a fundamental part of defending.
Griezmann could and should have doubled the lead right on the stroke of half-time when he latched onto some clumsy Arribas footwork in the centre circle and then darted forward with a convincing Usain Bolt impression.
However, the mustachioed Frenchman wasted the opportunity by attempting a cheeky outside of the right boot finish at Lux's near post that went wide of the mark.
One can only guess what the Argentine general used to motivate his troops as they tucked into their orange segments at the break as Atleti looked a different team in the second half. Depor though did not.
Carrasco was a player reborn in the second 45. The Belgian fired a rocket of a shot off the crossbar to the relief of Lux and followed it up a minute later by cutting inside from the left, brushing past a few defends and pulling the trigger from outside the box, but this time the Depor shot-stopper was able to make an easy save.
The Calderón could sense another goal was on its way and Antoine Griezmann soon provided the local support with what they wanted. A nicely disguised from Koke found the Atleti talisman, who outfoxed the offside trap and dispatched an unstoppable shot to make it 2-0.
With the die now cast, Cholo decided to take the France international off, presumably to wrap him in cotton wool or cryogenically freeze him ahead of next week’s must-win PSV game.
Midfield rock Gabi showed everyone in attendance that he’d had his Weetabix for breakfast in the 83rd minute by catching the Galicians napping with a quickly taken quick free kick over the top. Correa nipped in behind the blue-and-white backline to finish clinically.
Not so fast, Barca. While one Madrid team (three if we’re being fair) might have made too much of a balls of the league campaign to threaten top spot, Los Rojiblancos ain’t given this season up without a fight.