Report, cruel end to the season against Villarreal | OneFootball

Atlético de Madrid brought the season to a close against Villarreal, with third place on the line. A draw was enough for Simeone’s side, but the home team was far superior, with several refereeing decisions worth mentioning, though they did not determine the match. It was an even start, but around the half-hour mark the referee began to tilt things with a highly debatable penalty. A ball over the Atlético back line, a poor rush out by Musso, who then stops, and Pepe steps on the Argentine goalkeeper.

A clear stamp by the Yellow Submarine attacker, who ended up going down. The referee gave it, did not review it, and Parejo made it 1-0 from the spot. From there came a 10-minute whirlwind that killed off the game. Pedraza got past Llorente on the right as easily as a kid eating candy, sent a ball into the box, and a forced clearance by Hancko left it loose for Ayoze, at the penalty spot, to finish without mercy. A few minutes later, Pubill pounced after a defensive mistake, forced a poor pass from Ayoze, but Lenglet rolled out the red carpet for Mikautadze, and he made no mistake.

Three goals in barely ten minutes left the game all but over. But Pubill, who had been Atlético’s only bright spot, gave Atlético hope in their battle with Villarreal for third place. From a corner, a mistake by the goalkeeper, who came out badly, left Pubill alone to head home and make it 3-1. But another defensive error, this time by Giuliano, handed the ball to Pepe. He did it all himself, laid it back, and Gueye, with a spectacular left-footed strike, made it 4-1. The result was beyond doubt, and a rout was on the cards at La Cerámica.

No response and a scare before the World Cup

There was no reaction from Atlético in the second half, and they surrendered third place in the league to Villarreal. It was only the second time in the Simeone era that they have failed to finish in the top three (it had already happened a few seasons ago with Girona). Cholo Simeone made a triple substitution, giving minutes once again to young Puric. The scare came with Hancko and Pubill going off. The latter has a real chance of playing in the World Cup, but a health issue set off alarm bells. And ten minutes into the second half, Ayoze found himself alone in the box and beat Musso. All of it amid a passivity that greatly angered Atlético’s fans.

The only positive from the second half was the minutes given to Boñar and Javi Morcillo. The youngsters have been the only bright point in a season finale that at times has felt downright sadistic. All of it after a promising stretch that ultimately came to nothing.

Now it’s time to reset, get through a summer full of rumors—exhausting as they are—and start all over again. Until then, we’ll keep reading each other.

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