Atlético de Madrid have a very important match against RCD Espanyol on Wednesday. Diego Pablo Simeone 's men, who started with a bittersweet draw against leaders Villarreal , managed to let off steam against Girona last Sunday. With a solid performance in front of goal, the red-and-whites beat Míchel 's team 3-0 without any major worries.
It was the first victory at the Cívitas Metropolitano , a stadium that made history last season as one of the most rock-solid grounds in the entire continent. After the defeat against Osasuna in the last few games of last season, Atléticode Madrid dreams of once again adding a unique unbeaten streak at their stadium. To do so, they will have to continue winning three games at a time in front of their fans and RCDEspanyol will be the next hurdle in the way.
A setback that two years ago, in the penultimate season of the white and blues in the First Division, was close to complicating the life of Simeone'sAtléticode Madrid . And the fact is that, in a match that had absolutely everything, RCDEspanyol came close to a draw that would have left many murmurs in the Metropolitano due to how the circumstances unfolded. That is why, despite the bad start to the league, Cholo knows that they should not be complacent like in the 21/22 season.
An unrecognizable Oblak and a savior Carrasco
It all happened on a seemingly calm afternoon at the Metropolitano . Atlético de Madrid were hosting RCDEspanyol , one of the candidates to be relegated. Simeone 's men had a big difference in the quality of their squad but, as has happened against teams in the lower league, they were close to pulling off an upset.
The first half was a tough one for the Colchoneros. They were unable to score and the red-and-whites began to feel uncomfortable and had the feeling that something was not right. However, it seems that all those ghosts disappeared after a good goal from Yannick Carraco in the 51st minute, who had one of his best games with the red-and-white Atlético.
However, the controversy would come a few minutes later. Sergi Darder made a powerful shot from outside the area that was repelled by Felipe Monteiro , and the rebound hit Kondogbia 's arms. The midfielder already had a yellow card and, despite it being an involuntary action, the referee decided to show him the second warning, expelling him from the field of play.
The Metropolitano , enraged by what they were seeing, witnessed another incredible action: Jan Oblak making a huge mistake. The same foul that was caused by Kondogbia 's handball was the one that caused Espanyol 's equaliser. A calm shot by Raúl de Tomás was going to be stopped by the Slovenian until the ball slipped from his hands and went into the goal.
Jan Oblak 's face said it all and silence fell at the Metropolitano , who saw that in the 73rd minute their team was tied at one. And if that were not enough, in the last play of the match after adding 5 minutes, a corner taken by Yannick Carrasco ended up in the hand of Raúl de Tomás , causing a penalty. A decision that was also heavily criticised in the city of Barcelona, leaving the referee in a very bad position for both teams.
Whatever the case, after a lengthy VAR review, the star of the match, YannickCarrasco , took the penalty in the 99th minute that gave Atlético de Madrid the definitive victory. This time, the Metropolitano celebrated with madness and happiness 3 of the most difficult points to get that season. Now, two years later, the Atlético fans hope the match will be more peaceful and that they can celebrate the success without heart attacks.