Luis Suarez sealed a late winner as Atletico Madrid retained their two-point advantage at the top of La Liga with a narrow 2-1 win over CA Osasuna.
Atletico Madrid have become the favourites to lift the Spanish Liga title after securing a vital 2-1 victory over CA Osasuna on Sunday. The result helps them retain their two-point advantage over Real Madrid while knocking Barcelona out of contention following the Catalan giants’ defeat to Celta Vigo.
It was a nervy game for Los Colchoneros, even though they dominated the proceedings throughout the ninety minutes. They started the game on a positive fashion as well, crafting a lot of goalscoring opportunities. However, a display of shoddy finishing saw them fail to find the back of the net in the first half, as the two sides drew goalless.
Atletico Madrid continued to create chances in the second half, but two of their goals were ruled out to offside. Osasuna, in response, scored a shocking opener in the 75th minute, causing massive unrest as a result. There was, however, time for late drama, as Diego Simeone’s men eventually levelled the scoring through Renan Lodi in the 82nd minute.
Then, Luis Suarez found the winner in the 88th minute with a simple finish inside the box. It was enough to seal all three points for Atletico Madrid, and here, at The Hard Tackle, we will take a closer look at their players following their narrow 2-1 victory over Osasuna this weekend.
Jan Oblak: 6/10
Jan Oblak could have made one of the saves of the season when he kept out Ante Budimir’s effort in the 75th minute. Unfortunately for him, the ball had already crossed the line, qualifying as a goal for the Osasuna forward. Aside from that, the Atletico Madrid goalkeeper did not have to do anything much in between the sticks, with the opposition offering very little threat going forward.
Kieran Trippier: 8.5/10
Kieran Trippier played a vital role in helping Atletico Madrid dominate this game. He constantly bombarded the Osasuna defence with his incisive movements out wide, offering some exquisite passes from the wider areas of the pitch. The right-back was notably involved in the build-up for the late Suarez winner, as he passed the ball in behind a defender, for Yannick Carrasco.
Global pandemic might be edged out as most bizarre thing I’ve lived through if Kieran Trippier wins La Liga
— Tom ?øsenthal ? (@rosentweets) May 16, 2021
Stefan Savic: 7.5/10
Stefan Savic did not have much to do defensively, but his positioning was critical in preventing Budimir from causing too many problems going forward. The Atletico Madrid centre-back most notably scored a goal in the second half that was chalked off due to offside. He showed incredible zest and leadership at the back, in the absence of Jose Gimenez.
Felipe: 7/10
Starting ahead of Gimenez, Simeone’s decision to start with Felipe paid off. Although the centre-back was slightly culpable for missing his marker for the Osasuna goal, he was defensively solid otherwise, using his composure and experience to good effect.
Mario Hermoso: 7/10
Mario Hermoso looked intent on making an impact in this game in the offensive unit. As such, the defender was seen making incisive runs going forward, offering some excellent support for the attackers. Hermoso, though, was not as effective as Trippier on the other end and was taken off around the hour mark, in favour of Renan Lodi.
Marcos Llorente: 6.5/10
The hard-working Marcos Llorente had a difficult game considering the high standards he has set for himself this season. Although excellent in winning back possession, the former Real Madrid could provide enough in the creative department. He also appeared quite passive, both in his passing and in his positioning.
Koke: 8/10
Koke operated in the deepest role of the Atletico Madrid midfield, recycling possession and orchestrating the game with his passing. He controlled the midfield well, using his technical ability to thread excellent forward passes while also trying to make an impact himself by testing the opposition goalkeeper. A commendable display from the experienced midfielder.
Standouts from that half
• The runs behind Osasuna’s defense from Correa (Right half space), Llorente , Trippier – Carrasco (constantly providing width)
•Koke dictating the tempo of the game and his passes to pick out runners
• Saul – Savic: passing and covering for team mates— Lavogez (@captainkoke) May 16, 2021
Saul Niguez: 7/10
Saul Niguez looked much better than Llorente, as he was more involved going forward. The Atletico Madrid midfielder also did well in the second line of press, recovering possession multiple times as well as providing decent creative support for his attacking teammates. Would have preferred more space in the final third, but did just enough to pressurise the Osasuna backline.
Angel Correa: 7.5/10
Angel Correa looked in inspiring touch in the final third, offering a plethora of incisive runs in behind the defence and establishing himself as a viable target for the likes of Carrasco and Trippier. Although the Argentine will be disappointed not to have found the back of the net, his influence on the game was undeniable, although it did fade as the game progressed.
Luis Suarez: 7.5/10
Luis Suarez did not have a great game at all up until the moment he scored a late equaliser. He looked wasteful for the most part, missing a number of goalmouth opportunities, especially in the first half. The veteran forward could have even scored a hat-trick on his day, but to Atletico’s fortunes, the Uruguayan stepped up when they needed him the most, possibly sealing the title with that late goal.
A reminder that Barcelona sold Luis Suarez to Atlético Madrid for just €7m.
They told him he was too old to perform at the highest level.
He's scored 20 league goals this season ?♂️ pic.twitter.com/DhndxzOJED
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) May 16, 2021
Yannick Carrasco: 8.5/10
Yannick Carrasco was one of the star players for Atletico Madrid. Much like Trippier, the Belgian international bombarded the left flank with his incisive movements and crosses, making life difficult for the Osasuna defence.
In addition, the Atletico Madrid attacker was also very flexible with his positioning, making it difficult for the opposition to mark him tightly. He most notably registered the assist for Suarez’s winner, with a useful driven cross inside the box.
SUBSTITUTES
Renan Lodi: 7/10
Renan Lodi replaced Hermoso around the hour mark, offering more attacking firepower for Atletico Madrid. It made a telling impact as the left-back made an excellent run in behind the backline to find the all-important equaliser in the 82nd minute.
Joao Felix: 7/10
Joao Felix produced that brilliant lofted pass that found Lodi for the equaliser. The young attacker was heavily involved in Atletico’s attacking game after replacing Saul midway through the second half.
Moussa Dembele: N/A
A late replacement for Correa. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Hector Herrera: N/A
A late replacement for Llorente. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Geoffrey Kondogbia: N/A
A late replacement for Suarez. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
