He Real Betis has dealt the first league defeat to Atlético de Madrid by imposing 1-0 thanks to a goal from Giménez at your own door. A defeat that the red and white crisis worsens and highlights the bad moment of the colchoneros who have only won one of their last five games (W1, D2, L2).
Simeone’s team needed to make a splash at the table. Demonstrate that the disasters experienced in the last games (against Real in the League and against Benfica and Lille in the Champions League) were behind us. But nothing could be further from the truth.
Only three minutes had passed when Simeone’s men were already losing at Villamarín thanks to a Giménez’s own goal after an Abde tackle. The ball was touched first by Witsel and then Giménez, in his attempt to clear it, ended up sneaking it into Oblak’s goal.
Another game that Atlético began by losing, like last week against Leganés, and in which it was time to come back. However, the mattress defense was a sea of nerves. A sewer in which chances continued in favor of Betis and that comeback did not come.
Occasions forgiven by Betis
At a quarter of an hour Abde could have made it 2-0 after another loss of the ball by the rojiblancos, but the Betic striker failed in one-on-one with Oblak and the scoreboard did not move. Ten minutes later, Abde had another great chance, but then it was the post that prevented a new goal from reaching.
That was the general tone of the first half. A Betis like a cyclone that devastated an Atlético that did not know how to get out of that maelstrom. The only chance for the colchoneros in this event was a shot by Reinildo after a corner kick in which Rui Silva excelled with a save.
Even so, the best news for Simeone’s men was that They only lost 1-0 at halftime when, perfectly, they could have lost by two or three more goals difference.
El Cholo tried to put his team back together with the changes. He left Reinildo and Gallagher in the booth and opted for Javi Galán and Sorloth as replacements, but things started the same. With Abde putting Oblak in trouble under sticks
Shortly after, the red and white forwards appeared for the first time. First Griezmann with a shot that went high and then, Julián Álvarez who unleashed a tremendous shot from the front line that Rui Silva cleared.
Two Correa sticks prevent Atlético from scoring
But these two occasions were a mirage because the Betis continued attacking and starring in the clearest opportunities. Like a new shot against Fornals’ post in the 65th minute. The second of the game. But the most striking thing about this play is that in the rejection Gil Manzano gave a penalty forheard a kick from Galán to Fornals. However, the VAR called the Extremaduran referee and he overruled it after seeing that the red and white defense touched the ball and that Fornals lowered his head too much to look for the shot.
Despite everything, the rojiblancos improved a little in this second half and also had chances to tie and even win the clash with two shots from Correa. Two almost consecutive occasions (min. 80 and 84) that ended crashing into the post.
Afterwards, Victor Roque managed to beat Oblak in the 86th minute on a very fast counterattack, but the goal did not get on the scoreboard due to offside of the Brazilian forward.
In the end, a 1-0 in favor of Betis that leaves the League without any undefeated team after the defeats of Atlético and Madrid on this day. A victory that helps Pellegrini’s team rise to fifth place in the table and be just two points behind an Atlético mired in a crisis of play and results.
