Match report: Madrileño still believe in Alcalá | OneFootball

After a goalless draw in Teruel, Atlético Madrileño returned to Alcalá de Henares to host Betis Deportivo in a key clash for both teams. Although, at this stage, every match is important. For the red-and-whites, it was about putting pressure on Eldense and Sabadell. For the green-and-whites, it was about moving closer to safety.

Fernando Torres' side lined up as follows: Salvador Esquivel; Romeo Hueso, Aleksa Puric, Dani Martínez, Adrián Corral; Martín Bellotti, Javi Serrano; Iker Luque, Rafa Llorente, Arnau Ortiz; Miguel Cubo. On paper, it was a reliable starting eleven to go in search of another home win.

And things really did start well. We always say that Cubo, whether he is more or less involved, always creates situations that benefit his team. In the 4th minute, after a long ball forward, he forced a red card for last-man foul from one of the Betis defenders, giving his side a numerical advantage. Odd as it may sound, the reality is that it did not really help the reserve side, as they struggled to play the ball out cleanly without turbulence.

In one of Arnau’s wonderful moves down the left flank, he sent one of his markers to the ground and set up Adrián Corral for 1-0. The Cantabrian beat Manu González with a powerful left-footed strike, scoring his second goal of the season. Dream weeks for the defender from Santander. Still, the green-and-white response came just minutes later, with Borja Alonso scoring from a Pablo García assist. The joy in Alcalá did not last long.

Here came one of the controversial moments of the match. After Rafa Llorente won the ball back, Arnau Ortiz cut inside in the six-yard box and made it 2-1, but the referee decided to call a foul—one that simply did not exist—just as the ball was crossing the line. After an FVS review, the referee upheld his decision while the crowd looked on in disbelief. Yet another poor showing from a refereeing standard that leaves a lot to be desired, both with Torres' team and across the division in general, as complaints about bad officiating are coming from every team in this wonderful league.

After the break, the Niño brought on Marko Perovic and Rayane Belaid for Romeo Hueso and Miguel Cubo. They were key changes, adding freshness and dynamism to Atlético’s attacks, especially on the counter. In the 67th minute, Mati Barboza and Jano Monserrate came on for Aleksa Puric and Martín Bellotti, with the same intention. Then came Atlético’s second blow: a ball out wide to Arnau, who cut inside twice and got off a shot that forced the visiting goalkeeper into a save, and the rebound fell to Rayane, who first shifted it onto his left and then struck to make it a provisional 2-1. It was the attacking midfielder’s fourth goal, capping a sensational afternoon-evening.

As if that were not enough, the minutes ticked by and the tension kept rising at the Ciudad Deportiva, as Betis Deportivo kept competing and causing some danger in Atlético’s box. Yanis Senhadji sent a header against the right post of Esquivel’s goal, but on a counterattack Rayane set up Jorge Castillo, who turned and fired home to put the game to bed at 3-1. Castillo, by the way, had only been on the pitch for 10 minutes. Hard-fought, as in previous home matches, but the 3 points stayed in the capital.

With this win, Atlético Madrileño remain in third place on 61 points. Never before had they managed to break the 60-point barrier. They also cut 3 points off Eldense after the blue-and-red side’s defeat in Antequera, making Sabadell the new leaders once again.

On the next matchday, they will visit Juventud Torremolinos on Sunday, May 3, from 12:00 at El Pozuelo.

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