With the stands full of Santa hats, Atlético de Madrid gifted themselves a vital victory to strengthen their position in the Champions League in the last match of 2023. A growing Sevilla was unable to score at Civitas Metropolitano, and that he played more than twenty minutes with one more man due to the expulsion of Soyuncu. Llorente’s goal, at the beginning of the second half, ended a streak of two games without a win for the matalassars, who equaled Barça on points and reattached to that dream that now seems very distant, which is the League.
Despite the defeat, under the baton of Quique Sánchez Flores Sevilla has recovered the lost competitiveness. The victory against Granada was a morale boost, but against Atlético the Madrid coach was more conservative and decided to start the match without a reference striker. Sánchez Flores was trying to resist the pressure and the counterattacks of the mattress players, used to forcefulness when they play as a local. Sevilla achieved their mission and for many minutes contained, not without difficulties, an Atlético run wild in search of the goal. In return, the Andalusians sacrificed the depth of the sides and barely created danger on Oblak’s goal.
Simeone’s men did not speculate and played with intensity from the start. After two minutes, Morata connected a wall with De Paul and stood in front of Dmitrovic, but the Sevillian goalkeeper pushed into spaces and solved the hand-to-hand with a trick. It was a first warning to intimidate the opponent, although it served for Sevilla to adjust the defense better.
From then on, Simeone’s men raised a high pressure that was very effective. Sevilla lacked precision and the absence of an offensive reference prevented them from progressing easily. In each robbery, Atlético went out at maximum speed. Sometimes Lino and sometimes De Paul, but speed was also accompanied by precipitation. Another shot by Griezmann was all the offensive production in the first half of the locals, who were known to be superior.
At the restart, Atlético surprised again, and this time they did have a prize. Once again attacking the backs of the sides, the newly incorporated Llorente beat Pedrosa and crossed in the area. Sergio Ramos was forced to reject the winger, who in the second scored the goal with a low shot.
This goal opened the game from bat to bat. Sevilla got the ball and started to play on soft ground. Sánchez Flores introduced En-Nesyri and Sow and the Andalusians regained their confidence. Ocampos had a hand to hand that Oblak managed to solve. Simeone’s team managed to free themselves from the pressure, but just then the Turkish central Soyuncu saw a straight red card, at the behest of the VAR, after a tackle with the studs on the Achilles tendon of Ocampos.
With one more, Sevilla was not able to generate the necessary opportunities to equalize. On the contrary, Llorente was the one who had the clearest chance in a counter-attack, but once again Dmitrovic avoided the verdict of the locals.
The three points serve to reaffirm Simeone’s side after a good start to the year. Sevilla still have to take many steps forward to be the team they need to be.