A serious corrective for Atletico of Madrid in their match against F.C. Barcelona. The Catalan team destroyed the red-and-white team with a historical feast of goals (0-6) in a match that began with the local domain and ended up becoming a festival of blue-maroon goals. After this defeat to forget, ‘the mattress makers’ will wait for another opportunity to advance towards their objective of getting a place in Europe.

Javier Aguirre's group jumped at Calderón's field with the premise of giving the ball to the rival and working hard their chances of fast break, tactic based on the key that caused the wide result harvested in the recent visit to Getafe. Atletico got closer soon with a header by Fernando Torres that left at the left side. Jurado and Maniche also had their options in plays based on the speed of the ‘mattress makers’ forwards, but the coalition formed by Valdés and the lack of success didn’t let Atletico to take advantage at the scoreboard.

The first half hour had a clear red-and-white colour, but Barça started to leave the cave and warned with a triple chance in which first Ronaldinho, later Messi and lastly Eto'o could open the scoreboard. Since then the match took a tone blue-maroon with a clear occasion by Eto'o that Pichu stopped; Torres answered with an individual play, after dribbling several defenders, he made a shot that Victor Valdés saved.

The key of the match took place when Maniche was forced to retire from the field after suffering a hard foul. Atletico with ten didn't know how to contain an offensive plaited between Eto'o and Messi that became the first blue-maroon goal at 39', and hardly six minutes after two more goals, scored by Zambrotta and Eto'o. To top it all, to the water rain and goals was added that Maniche had to leave, occupying Maxi his place on the field.

After the break only two outcomes were expected: or an historical overcomes or an historical defeat. Unfortunately was the second option. Aguirre looked for new airs for the line up of the team entering Agüero, but the Argentinean couldn’t do anything to look for the reaction, since in spite of trying to clip differences by Maxi, Ronaldinho took charge of ruining all hopes scoring a magnificent fourth goal in a play plaited with Eto'o.

The overcome seemed very complicated and the only thing left was to make up the scoreboard cutting differences. Fernando Torres embodied the red-and-white honour when looking for Valdés' goal in an impossible mission; although he was close to inaugurate the local scoreboard with a header that Valdés saved with problems. The finish off arrived with Eller’s sending off. The Brazilian saw the second yellow card and there finished everything; Barcelona played with an insulting easiness and Messi signed with a lob the quintet. Finally and already with Atletico completely defeated Iniesta scored the sixth goal of a night to forget.


Photo: www.clubatleticodemadrid.com