Match report: Atlético switch off and pay dearly in Bilbao | OneFootball

Matchday four in the League brought the first defeat for Atlético de Madrid against Athletic, who once again looked disconnected away from home, leaving an image diametrically opposed to the one they showed at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán against Sevilla.

At San Mamés, Athletic beat us 3-0, on a matchday that could have been a good opportunity to raise our stock in the league, just before this season’s Champions League debut.

In the first half, the red-and-whites were superior, and such is life: what set the match on track in Seville was not to be in Bilbao. Baena put away the first chance they had in Nervión, but in Bilbao, two minutes into the match, Kang In Lee beat his marker in the box and unleashed a right-footed shot that beat Unai Simón, only for it to crash against the base of the post of the Athletic keeper’s goal, with the bad luck that the rebound did not go into the net.

What could have been 0-1 (and a situation very similar to the one in Seville) remained 0-0 throughout the first half, and it would end up being devastating for Atleti’s chances.

That was our best scoring chance of the first half, along with a great effort from Baena that Unai Simón parried in the 23rd minute, then gathering the ball at the second attempt and once again denying what could have been Atleti’s opening goal.

To make matters worse, in stoppage time Barrios hit the post again, with the ball then glancing off Simón’s back, but luck did not smile on Atleti again.

Disconnection and deserved punishment

In the second half came a major lapse and a huge blow in barely a couple of minutes, which buried our chances of taking anything from Bilbao. In a play in midfield, our players stopped a little over a ball they thought had gone out of play, but it sparked a dangerous Athletic counterattack, and with Atleti slow to track back, it led to a cross-shot from the elder Williams for his brother to head home unmarked in the six-yard box.

From Iñaki to Nico and goal, leaving Cholo’s men badly shaken, and a minute later they were undone by an almost identical move, right after the restart. Loss of possession, a clear counterattack with forward passes, and slow tracking back from our side, allowing Iñaki to flick it on to Navarro, who cut inside in front of Grimaldo and blasted past Oblak.

This left Atleti badly hurt, and they tried to recover their footing with four substitutions, including Cuti Romero, who was making his debut, and Julián Álvarez, who returned after the close of the summer transfer window.

And it was the Spider who had Atleti’s best chance, striking from the edge of the box (a bit scuffed) and forcing Unai Simón to stretch and produce a fine save to prevent Atlético de Madrid’s first goal. By the way, the Spider looked more active in the fight for the ball than when he came on against Villarreal (even chasing a ball he had lost from the opposition box all the way back to Oblak’s area).

And when the team was completely committed to attack, Sancet made it 3-0 on the counter, after a run by Gerenabarrena, who squared it low for Cardoso’s attempted clearance, only for the ball to fall to Sancet’s feet and for him to finish with ease.

First defeat, and now it’s time to reflect on the mistakes so they do not happen again in the matches coming next week, in both the Champions League and the League.

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