With the Argentines, Atlético Madrid tied 1-1 with Rayo Vallecano :: Olé

09/22/2024 15:42hs. Updated on 09/22/2024 18:20hs.

It doesn’t finish starting. Atlético de Madrid is struggling, it is not flowing and Julián Álvarez does not seem to find his place in a team that proposes, but that easily converts. The match against Rayo Vallecano was important, not only to keep up with Barcelona, ​​who are starting to get away as leaders with 18 points, but to gain confidence after a week in which they beat Leipzig in an agonising way at the start of the Champions League.

Atlético drew 1-1 with Julián and without De Paul

Of course, despite the late victory against the Germans, where Cholo’s men found the 2-1 at the end of the match thanks to a goal by José María Giménez, the match left its mark. One of them was the absence of Rodrigo De Paul, who was not called up for the match in Vallecas, something that would not be linked to an injury, but rather to “load management”. Although it is difficult not to think about the whistles that the Argentine National Team midfielder received against Leipzig during the week.

Julian celebrates Gallagher’s equaliser. REUTERS/Juan Medina

And despite the doubts, Atleti had started very well against Rayo Vallecano. In fact, before Issy Palazón’s 1-0, which gave the home team the lead despite the referee having called an offside call that did not exist, the Colchonero had several chances to take the lead. One of them was a shot by Julián Álvarez that hit the crossbar when Augusto Batalla had already been beaten. In addition, the former San Lorenzo goalkeeper had already denied Samuel Lino the 1-0.

And Cholo understood what was happening. Julián Álvarez was left very alone in the attack, so in the second half he decided to send Ángel Correa to attack and break the line of five, which was leaving the team very sunken in its own area. After Correa’s entry, Julián Álvarez stood on the left wing as a midfielder, while Antoine Griezmann and Alexander Sorloth remained as strikers, while Angelito was positioned as a right midfielder.

A tie with a bitter taste

In this way, the Colchonero managed to position themselves further forward and press high.something that had not been achieved during the first 45 minutes. And the results came quickly, Conor Gallagher, the best of Cholo’s team, found the tie four minutes into the second half after a great play by the Norwegian Sorloth, who handed the ball to the former Chelsea player in the half-moon area to make it 1-1.

From then on, everything was Cholo’s, who, although they had no clear chances beyond a shot from Araña from outside the area that Batalla blocked, managed to take control of the match and completely nullify Rayo Vallecano, who did not generate any more danger. In the end, The feeling is bittersweet, given that Cholo seemed to find answers in the second half, but the point won in Vallecas is, rather, two points lost, taking into account the way the match went.

With six games played, Atleti already know that they must start winning to prevent Barcelona from slipping away at the top of the Spanish league. Hansi Flick’s team is a steamroller in Spain and They have 18 points in six games, while the Colchonero again dropped points and accumulated 12 units, two less than Real Madrid and one less than Bilbao. From early on, Cholo and his men will have to row.

Atletico Madrid –

The draw between Atlético Madrid and Rayo Vallecano