After snubbing Benfica, Thiago Almada shines in Atlético Madrid v Osasuna | OneFootball

Thiago Almada was one of the names that stirred up the Benfica transfer market the most last summer. However, fate had it that the Argentine playmaker slipped away from the Eagles, eventually signing for Atlético Madrid. Last Saturday, he stood out by scoring the goal that gave the Colchoneros victory over Osasuna (1-0).

Brought on during the match by Diego Simeone, the former Botafogo playmaker saw Atlético Madrid start better than their opponents, in a moment where Alex Baena, assisted by Julián Álvarez, put the ball in the net in the 9th minute. However, VAR ended up disallowing the goal.

Before halftime, former Benfica goalkeeper Jan Oblak and Osasuna’s keeper were called into action, denying goals to Antoine Griezmann and Lucas Torró, keeping the scoreline goalless until the break.

In the second half, both teams had clear chances to open the scoring, but the ball stubbornly refused to go in. In the 63rd minute, Almada—who made history for Argentina—came onto the pitch and, six minutes later, the former Benfica target turned the situation around and scored the solitary goal that gave the Colchoneros the win.

Until the final whistle, Atlético Madrid withstood another offensive onslaught from Osasuna, who were trying to turn the score around. However, the Madrid side survived the encounter and with the three points, Diego Simeone’s team jumped to fourth place with 16 points, the same as Betis, who are in fifth.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.