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1-3: Torres decides

Diop scored for the third straight match but Espanyol wasn’t able to add some points

Espanyol could not extend their good run of results and ended up losing to Atlético Madrid that take profit of their options to take all three points. Espanyol went ahead with a goal by Diop, but the red and whites, gradually, were carburizing and overcame the initial goal of the ‘espanyolistas’. Constantin Galca’s players weren’t able to tie the match and Koke sentenced in the last minutes of the game.

Constantin Galca decided to repeat the last day eleven against Malaga although this time he stood right back Alvaro and Javi Lopez a little more advanced. The coach idea was good as Atlético didn’t playe fluid. Atletico is not a team that assumes too much risk or gets exposed in defense. The idea of the two managers led a very tactical match, with intensity but without much fluency in circulation. Only Torres on an individual stock was able to create some danger in the first leg of the match.

After the first minutes, the match entered a phase in which entertaining areas began to take more prominence. Again, the strategy was the great ally of Espanyol. A corner caused by Rubén Duarte, after a good collective play, finished meaning the first goal of Espanyol. Pape Diop hunt the ball and with a spectacular header beat Oblak to place the first goal. The espanyolistas were offering a good image in front the second in the league. However, the joy was short and minutes later Torres, who is in the best time of the season, scored the tie by leveraging a long ball.

Espanyol reacted well after the tie before the break and had options to expand the score. Oscar Duarte, after a new corner, topped over the bar while Victor Sanchez was very close to the goal but he missed a header off the post. The break came in Galca transmitting good feeling and playing with confidence against Atletico, on the contrary, found continuity in their game.

The game did not change much after the break and both teams continued well established on the pitch without giving many options. However, the quality of visitors reappeared and among Torres, Koke and Griezmann produced the second goal of the ‘rojiblancos’. The initial advantage was gone and played traced to an adversary who does not usually provide facilities. Galca introduced a tactical variant changing Caicedo for Rubén Duarte to play in many phases, with only three defenders. Galca went a step further with the entry of Mamadou by Javi Lopez to provide more offensive presence to the team.

Despite the changes, Espanyol did not find the way to overcome the defensive network of Simeone. Instead, the cons of the red and whites were increasingly dangerous and in one of them, the third goal advantage Koke work of an individual, very active action during the match Fernando Torres arrived. After the defeat, we have to think in the match against Levante on Friday.