Posted in: 20/04/2022 – 21:14Last updated: 20/04/2022 – 21:12
Madrid (AFP) – Defending champion Atlético Madrid moved up to second place, despite its disappointing goalless draw once morest its relegated guest, Granada, on Wednesday in the 33rd round of the Spanish Football League.
Atlético raised its score to 61 points, one point ahead of Barcelona, who has a game in hand and is a guest at Real Sociedad on Thursday, and Seville, who plays once morest Levante on the same day. While Real Madrid, who will visit Osasuna later on, lead with 75 points and are on the verge of stripping their arch-rival of the title.
Atletico failed to avenge their 1-2 first-leg loss in Granada, in a match in which the Portuguese Joao Felix scored the only goal for the defending champion, knowing that the latter will be absent until the end of the current season due to an injury once morest Espanyol.
Argentine coach Diego Simeone’s men won five of their last seven matches, as the only loss was 0-1 at Mallorca in the 31st stage.
On the other hand, Granada 18th with 30 points hopes to avoid relegation, especially following suffering two consecutive losses once morest Seville 2-4 and Levante 1-4, and did not taste victory in its last four matches, as it was a draw once morest Rayo Vallecano 2-2, while another His victory once morest Alaves 3-2 in stage 29.
At the “Wanda Metropolitano” stadium in the capital, Madrid, the French Toma Lemar, Uruguayan Jose Maria Jimenez and Mexican Hector Herrera were added to the absence of Felix, and Brazilian Felipe and Geoffrey Kondogbia from the Central African Republic were suspended.
In a first half that did not witness much, Atlético gained possession of the ball, but with a loss of effectiveness in front of the goal, while the Andalusian club created some chances without finding the net.
Simeone made two substitutions at the beginning of the second half and hit Uruguayan striker Luis Soares and Croatian defender Shimi Versaljko instead of Javi Serrano and Mozambican Renildo. At the edge, a powerful ground kick passed along the right post (49), so that the 2018 World Cup champion failed to score his first goal in the league since last November 28 and beat Cadiz 4-1.
The two teams exchanged attacks with a greater danger to Atletico, who almost decided the match in his favour, but the shot of Griezmann’s replacement, Brazilian Mateos Konya, found the Andalusian left post following dribbling and a pass from Carrasco inside the area (89).
He later plays Celta Vigo with Getafe.
© 2022 AFP
