It was important for Atlético Madrid to earn these three points after the shocking, disappointing 3-1 loss against Valencia. And that's what they did, and nothing else. As always, Atlético were solid throughout the whole match and only struggled a bit during the first 20 minutes of the game. Simeone's men were able to take care of business as usual, scoring both of their goals off corner-kicks.
3 things we learned from Atlético Madrid’s solid 2-0 victory against Espanyol
Simeone’s men are back to their winning ways after beating a mediocre Espanyol side at the Vicente Calderón.
Manuel Queimadelos Alonso
Espanyol's keeper Kiko Casilla is not to blame for Atleti's goals, but he wasn't his usual self either. The whole Espanyol defense looked shaky in every corner kick -- they conceded 12 of them -- and that's not a good game plan against such a brilliant team on set pieces. Tiago scored Atleti's first goal after a poor defending by Espanyol on a corner. The ball fell right in Gabi's feet, who crossed it brilliantly and paved the way for Atlético's win.
Mario Suárez, rumored to be unsatisfied with his role in Atlético, notched up his side’s second and final goal off yet another corner kick. Mario is an important player for Simeone, but it’s also true that he might want to test his chances as an undisputed starter elsewhere. There are not a lot of defensive midfielders available in the market and it will be interesting to see what Suárez decides.
One way or another, Atleti’s win will surely be enough for their coach, but it’s true that this side are not as dominant as they were last season just yet. Diego Costa and Filipe Luis were critical to last season’s success after all.
Atlético de Madrid: Moyà, Juanfran, Giménez, Godín, Ansaldi, Gabi, Tiago (Suárez 53’), Koke, Turan (Griezmann 60’), García, Mandzukic (Rodríguez 85’)
Goals: Tiago (43’), Suárez (71’)
Espanyol: Casilla, López, Colotto, Álvaro, Fuentes, Lucas, Cañas, Álvarez (Montañés 63'), Sevilla, García (Alex 56'), Caicedo (Stuani 63')
Goals: None.
3 things
- There’s almost no way to defend Atleti’s set pieces properly: One has to assume that every club and coaching staff facing Atlético de Madrid work hard to stop their set pieces, and yet Simeone’s men always find a way to be dangerous in these situations. Their first goal came after a bad clearance on a corner kick.
- Even though they lost Diego Costa, los colchoneros still want to counterattack: Mandzukic is not a striker who excels on the open field, but this attacking style is still Simeone’s main option. When they scored the opening goal, Atlético decided to sit back and wait for more chances to come. That can be dangerous at times, but it worked.
- Sergio García is one of the best strikers in Spanish football: He plays for Espanyol and he did not excel against Atlético, but when he left the game with physical problems Espanyol looked toothless. Felipe Caicedo might be a bit more famous, but García could definitely be playing in a better side.
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