A splendid Betis handed the first league defeat to an Atlético that was horrible in the first half and improved somewhat in the second half, when it went on the attack and had some chances to tie. Of course, always without football and with a worrying lack of vitality and talent. Betis played an hour to frame. He scored a goal, threw two balls to the posts and finished on Oblak’s goal up to 24 times. He should have sentenced the match much earlier and only his lack of efficiency kept Atlético in the match, where Correa, with two balls to the woodwork, was able to achieve the tie. Betis put an end to a painful streak of 10 consecutive games without beating Atlético and the people of Madrid must reflect. An investment of more than 200 million euros is lost in empty and sterile football. At Betis, players like Cardoso increase their value like foam.
1
Rui Silva, Marc Bartra, Diego Llorente, Romain Perraud, Aitor Ruibal (Youssouf Sabaly, min. 90), Johnny Cardoso, Abde Ezzalzouli (Iker Losada, min. 90), Sergi Altimira, Pablo Fornals, Vitor Roque and Chimy Ávila (Assane Diao, min. 76)
0
Jan Oblak, José María Giménez, Nahuel Molina, Reinildo (Javi Galán, min. 45), Axel Witsel, Koke, Rodrigo De Paul (Thomas Lemar, min. 83), Conor Gallagher (Alexander Sørloth, min. 45), Samuel Lino (Giuliano Simeone, min. 69), Julián Alvarez and Antoine Griezmann (Ángel Correa, min. 69)
Goals
1-0 min. 3: Gimenez
Referee Jesus Gil Manzano
yellow cards
Reinildo Mandava (min. 6), Koke (min. 65), Romain Perraud (min. 74), Aitor Ruibal (min. 82), Adrián (min. 87)
Distraught, Simeone gestured on the sidelines without believing what he was seeing on the pitch. Atlético was being crushed by a vital and vertical Betis that had taken the lead on the scoreboard after four minutes after an error by Giménez. For many minutes, Atlético was a broken toy in the hands of Betis, who surpassed them in a first half of a very high level. Safe in defense, with Cardoso as quarterback in the center of the field, Vitor Roque, Abde, Ávila and Fornals They passed like airplanes past the very slow Atlético players.
Oblak became desperate with his defensive line while Simeone likewise ordered a defense of three central defenders at 15 minutes, after Abde missed a resounding chance, which he ordered to take from the goal in the old fashioned way. Atlético was a horror in the first half where laziness and lack of energy were the perfect path for Betis to develop the best football of the season.
Betis’ vital game only had one error. It was about lack of effectiveness. The green and white team arrived at Atlético’s area again and again in waves. A goal and a shot against the crossbar by Abde were the best options for an unleashed Betis. Pellegrini made his team react after Copenhagen’s European setback in the Conference (1-1 at home), quite the opposite of Simeone with this Atlético so weak, against which Betis made up to 14 shots in its best first half of the course.
Football gave Atlético a chance to redeem themselves in the second half. He did it, but only halfway. Without football and yes with an outrageous attack proposal from his coach in which, above all, Correa’s skill and mischief stood out. But before the final push came, of course, the chances of this fun and daring Betis. Abde had the umpteenth option, but his shots never found the target. Then, Fornals had a great chance with a shot into the top corner. On the rebound, Gil Manzano awarded a penalty in an action by Javi Galán on Fornals himself. The VAR called the referee and, with justice, the penalty was not awarded. It was Correa, with two shots on the post, who came closest to the tie. The final stretch was crazy, with Atlético focused on attack and Betis defending with order a match that should have been decided much earlier.
“We conceded early, they were better, but in the second half we were better. We had two suits and we were almost able to tie. We are hurt. “There are 10 points with respect to Barcelona, but there is still a lot left.” Koke stated.. “In the first half we couldn’t play our game and we did little. In the second half, at least we competed,” Simeone analyzed. “The only person responsible for what happens to the team is the coach, because I have not known how to teach my players how to play this match,” added the Argentine coach.
