Atletico went to Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium searching their third straight win away, but against Seville they ran into an excessively tactical duel that favored the final score, a tie without goals and distribution of points.

The match began with a red-and-white color, the one of an Atletico team that in the ten first minutes already came close with two chances at Palop’s area by a quick Martin Petrov, who once again demonstrated to be a dagger at the left band. Carlos Bianchi’s players put in practice the lesson that the Argentinean preached during the week: clear ideas, work, attitude, pressure... The locals didn’t take much to react to the rival dominion, shaking the pressure and searching for the lands of Leo Franco. The match come to a phase of tactical duel between the two teams, planted on the field and very firm in defense. Kanouté had the possibility to move the score, and later Maresca nearly score a goal with a dangerous kick of foul. The local defense watched very good to Torres and Kezman, reason why Maxi overcame the manager to respond Sevilla’s attacks with a header that could put ahead Atletico.

After half-time Atletico improved considerably in the elaboration, touching with better criterion in midfield, although the first chance was by Saviola, when nearly transform into goal a confusion of Zahínos in front of the area. The key moment of the game could be a fall in the area by Maxi, action that the referee didn’t consider penalty. Danger for the Seville goalkeeper arrived shortly after when the Torres-Kezman connection returned to work. In one fast break the captain sent a measured pass to the Serb who executed a powerful kick from outside the area putting Palop in serious danger, who demonstrated his job turning aside the ball to corner with a spectacular streched. Torres try again shortly after with a run into the small area and in combination with Kezman and Petrov, although Bianchi’s players didn’t manage to put themselves ahead in the score. The game definitively seemed to finish in a tie, panorama that definitively the changes didn’t manage to transform.

At the end of the match both equipment signed the tie and distribution of points. With the tie, Atletico confirms the good moment away, after taking seven points of nine in the last of three games away. The next game the red-and-whites will try to continue at Balaídos Stadium with the positive balance in the road and to cut points to another direct rival, the Celta of Vigo.


Photo: J. A. Sirvent