Atlético demolishes the wall of Alavés | Sports Carousel

Atlético de Madrid found the formula to beat a very serious Alavés in the Wanda Metropolitano. The rojiblanco team did not have outstanding performances by Joao Felix or Morata, but was able to rely on an aggressive Marcos Llorente when he entered the game in the second half, and in set pieces to decline the match in his favor. Alavés, with a good initial tactical plan, could hardly return the blow.

The team of ‘Cholo’ Simeone went green with the same scheme that has been testing the last meetings at home. A 4-4-2 where many players end up on the inside and only the wings open the field on the outside. The idea didn’t seem bad. Joining Joao Felix, Correa and Koke to triangulate can always generate some dangerous occasion. But saving some action from a set piece, or Thomas’s attempts from afar, Atlético constantly stumbled against the Alavés defense, who proposed a system designed to torpedo the circulation in the opposite field of the rojiblancos.

Garitano’s men were positioned, in theory, at 4-5-1. When the team did not have the ball (as happened during most of the duel), Edgar and Aleix Vidal were positioned as long lanes so that Alavés had six players on the defensive line to support Pacheco’s goal. That, added to the mobility of Pere Pons and Abdullah in the interiors, and the positioning of Fejsa, formed a funnel almost impossible to beat. Atlético could watch and play, but they barely verticalized in the three-quarter zone. When I tried, between the accumulation of T-shirts and the eagerness of the locals to open the email, nothing happened.

El Alavés. Comfortable giving up the initiative, he sought to hit the counter with Oliver Burke as the only point. Difficult match for the Scotsman. Neither exploited his speed nor could he offer himself as a plausible way to score. Only Aleix Vidal, with a bad shot inside the area, inflicted fear. The rest, the search for 0-0 limited the creativity of the Basque team. Although that was what they wanted. And after the hour of the meeting, it seemed very close.

Simeone introduced Diego Costa and the fashionable man in the Wanda Metropolitano, Marcos Llorente. And since football is capricious, Atlético found the goal thanks to a foul won by former Real Madrid. Trippier bounced the ball and Saúl, with his head, beat Pacheco. Atleti not only threw the defensive wall of Alavés, but also his approach from the final whistle. Garitano’s men now had to row.

With the game a little more destined to the exchange of blows, Marcos Llorente again ran the right wing, won the physical game against his rival, and was knocked down in the area. Penalty doubtful or not, the VAR ended up signaling the action. Diego Costa executed and the 2-0 was almost final for Alavés.

In the last minutes, Joselu scored a penalty for Alavés, and ended up putting on a result that suits Atlético very well (he wins a distance of four points with respect to fourth place, Sevilla) and leaves Alavés with one eye on him. looking at the relegation zone (Mallorca is nine points below).