Match report, win at the Metropolitano before Champions clash | OneFootball

Atlético de Madrid earned a great victory against Athletic (3-2) in the match before the first leg of the Champions League semifinals. With a lineup worthy of a clash of the highest level, Simeone’s men were looking for a win to end a long run of defeats, one that would both boost morale ahead of the match against Arsenal and also serve as a tribute to the fans, who were celebrating the anniversary of our Atleti’s foundation this weekend.

The 3-2 win leaves us just one step away from securing fourth place, with the major dark cloud being Pablo Barrios’ injury around the hour mark, which leaves us with a chill in our blood as we think about what lies ahead.

The first half began with a chance for Baena, after a through ball left him one-on-one with plenty of ground to cover, but by the time he reached the box the defense had closed him down, preventing him from getting a shot on goal.

And from that chance came the visitors’ first goal, which arrived from a corner after an unforced error by Lenglet, who conceded it when Oblak could have reached that ball without any trouble.

From that corner, Paredes met it well with a header and scored the goal that gave his side the lead in the 22nd minute, a scoreline that remained until halftime.

Comeback and goals, with a Sørloth masterclass

Aside from Barrios’ injury, Atleti’s best moments came in the second half, with an early goal from Griezmann in the 49th minute (thanks to a move with Baena in the box), which settled nerves and created a positive energy that believed in victory.

That energy remained strong in the following minutes, especially with Sorloth’s goal in the 53rd minute, after another combination with Baena and a great first touch and finish that blasted past Unai Simón.

After that, Athletic had chances to score, but our Atleti defended well and, in the closing stages of the match, after a superb counterattack, Sorloth found himself one-on-one with the Bilbao goalkeeper and sealed the win and the three points with his second goal of the game.

Guruzeta, with a header in the 96th minute, made it 3-2, when the match had already been decided minutes earlier.

A great win for Atleti before the big Champions League showdown. The biggest match of the year (aside from the great final in Budapest) has arrived.

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