Report: Griezmann magic sends Atlético into Copa del Rey quarter-finals | OneFootball

Atlético de Madrid has done its job and, after defeating Deportivo de la Coruña 0-1 at Riazor, has qualified for the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey, a competition that once again becomes one of the most decisive tournaments for the course of the season for Atleti.

That’s why Atleti went all out, with a very recognizable lineup and hardly holding anything back, to overcome Depor at their home, with both Griezmann and Julián Álvarez standing out in our attack.

And soon the “spider” had the chance to put Atleti ahead, with a chipped ball, but Germán prevented the rojiblanco goal. It was an early warning from the “spider,” who didn’t have his day, missing this and a few more chances to break his bad streak in front of goal.

It wasn’t the only chance we had at the start of the match. Ruggeri, in the first quarter of an hour, curled a shot that took a wicked turn and crashed against the post, which could also have been our first goal.

We had to wait until the half-hour mark to see Depor, through Zakaria, threaten Atleti’s goal with a dangerous cross from Mella, but the Depor striker’s header was straight at Musso and easy for him to save.

To end the first half, Griezmann hit the woodwork again, this time the crossbar, with a shot from the edge of the box that surprised the Galician team’s goalkeeper.

Griezmann, key once again

The second half brought us the winning goal and a spell of Depor dominance after conceding, as they tried to find an equalizer. They didn’t trouble Musso, but they controlled the game to try to add some excitement to the tie.

After another miss from the “spider” in the 56th minute (he wasn’t sharp in front of goal), with Baena alone at the far post, Simeone made some changes and a foul was committed on Johnny Cardoso at the edge of the box, which would prove decisive.

Griezmann executed it perfectly, scoring the goal that would ultimately secure the victory and passage to the next round for Atleti.

There was still half an hour left until the end of the match, with seven minutes added on due to the stoppage for Griezmann and Germán, who collided accidentally. This period was dominated by the home side, although they couldn’t seriously trouble Musso, and Atleti tried to counterattack, but couldn’t create a clear chance to add another goal, which would have sealed the result.

So, after the rojiblancos’ victory, Cholo’s men are just one match away from repeating their presence in the semifinals, as we did in the previous two seasons, where we came close to reaching another Copa final after more than a decade of absence.

There’s still a way to go, but the dream of lifting another trophy for Atleti is getting closer and closer.

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