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Correa returns the smile to Atlético (2-0)

Among the coronavirus, the casualties of Joao Félix, Griezmann, Koke or Llorente, the losing streak, doubts and the scoring drought, this Sunday emerged Angel Correa, decisive double scorer to reactivate the Atlético de Madrid, relocated in fourth position and uncontested winner against the Vallecano Ray, who left the Metropolitan without shooting at goal.

A decisive match that ends with Atlético’s worst losing streak in the League of the decade, and that replaces it in the Champions League places, an unavoidable objective, and that rearms his conviction, even though the title is today an apparently impossible question (it is to 14 points from Real Madrid with one less match) and that his reality is quite different from the one he enjoyed last year as champion and from the one demanded at the beginning of this campaign.

Atlético will not give up, nor will Correa never does. There are few footballers with as much faith in the field of game as the rojiblanco ’10’. Believe in the amazing sometimes: every ball is always an opportunity. The effort is not negotiated for Correa, who plays where they tell him. Neither a bad face nor a complaint when it does not arise from eleven. Y when he enters the field he gives everything. Whether it works or not.

A League included just over half a year ago. For more than it costs him today to recognize himself to the rojiblanco team from then to now. Before so decisive, before so firm, before so consolidated … And now in a constant doubt which places him on the edge of disappointment or grief, of the slightest mistake that will be punished by his adversary with all possible fierceness. This Sunday he did not commit them in definitive areas. And won. He needed it quickly.

First won because Correa believed in what no one else believed, in which the rejection of Mario Hermoso’s shot in two defenses was going to be left to him, who connected with the right, with little angle, first, without thinking beyond the essentials, just a second, the goal that lightened the Athletic weight who has endured lately in his matches: he makes merits, but does not score; misses back and receives a goal.

The 1-0 of the Argentine attacker in the 28th minute rewarded the play that his compatriot had drawn before Rodrigo de Paul, whose move to Carrasco’s uncheck was a delight, just like the maneuver with which the Belgian winger it furrowed the outfield and centered behind. Later, it was the aforementioned auction of Mario Hermoso. Then, Correa’s goal, which not only put Atlético ahead on the scoreboard, but also relieved him of the pressure, with almost never an apparent response from Rayo Vallecano.

You just have to look at their numbers to see the difference between Andoni Iraola’s team at home and away. He is the best of the major European leagues at home. There he adds 25 of his 30 points. The other five correspond to his starts: a win all season away from his stadium. So distant that it dates from September 21, when he won 1-2 in Bilbao. His staging was apparent, competitive, daring to force the Jan Oblak clearance a few times, but little else. Harmless.

It is true that it has been a week of great complexity for the team, without being able to count until Friday with more than eight players to prepare a visit of the dimension that the Wanda Metropolitano stadium has, even if now is not the best moment for Atlético.

The 2-0, in the 53rd minute, when the Lightning threatened with something more than what it had offered up to then in attack, also signed by Correa. Lemar opened it to the left wing, Renan Lodi crossed and the Argentine striker clinched it to resolve the victory. It is only the fourth in their last eleven matches of the Atlético championship, which still you need more to achieve all you want to be.

He still misses the most definitive version of Carrasco, Lemar … He longs for Joao Félix from the previous game in Granada. They are differential men. As it is Luis Suarez. An infinite scorer who, suddenly, has not scored in any of the last seven rounds of LaLiga Santander. A world for a man as ambitious as him. A world for a team that depended so much on its tremendous skill over the opposing goal last season.

The Uruguayan ‘9’ was emptied again. Leader, bossy, participative, constant, with hierarchy, with energy, with sacrifice … But no goal. He did not score when Saveljich offered him an unimaginable gift in the First Division, still 0-0. Before Luca Zidane, it stung her badly. Out of. It is the only thing the striker lacked this Sunday, rewarded by a resounding applause. He is a scorer for the eternity of Atlético. Like Falcao, today at Rayo. When he stepped onto the field, the applause was thunderous. He is a red and white legend.

Data sheet:

Atlético de Madrid, 2: Oblak; Trippier, Giménez, Hermoso, Lodi; Carrasco (Felipe, d. 90), De Paul, Kondogbia, Lemar; Correa, Luis Suárez (Cunha, m. 72).

Rayo Vallecano, 0: Luca Zidane; Balliú, Maras, Saveljich, Kevin Rodrigues (Bebe, d. 58); Isi Palazón (Andrés, d. 46), Santi Comesaña (Falcao, d. 75), Óscar Valentín, Fran García; Unai López (Óscar Trejo, d. 58); Sergi Guardiola (Aguirre, m. 81).

Goals: 1-0, m. 28: Strap. 2-0, m. 53: Strap.

Referee: Figueroa Vázquez (C. Andaluz). He admonished the locals Luis Suárez (m. 25), Giménez (m. 62) and De Paul (m. 73). He also showed a yellow card to Diego Simeone, coach of Atlético de Madrid (m. 7).

Incidents: Match corresponding to the nineteenth round of LaLiga Santander, played at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium before 43,029 spectators.

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