Atletico de Madrid took home the Iberian Trophy thanks to an imposing 3-1 victory over Sporting Lisbon with Carlos Bianchi’s expected first choice line-up on the pitch. Fernando Torres scored two and Peter Luccin completed Atletico’s account at the culmination of a move begun with a spectacular faked pass from the team captain.

Atletico showed ambition from the starting whistle, looking for opportunities with class and style, knocking the ball around in midfield and exploiting the depth down the flanks offered by Maxi and Petrov. Little by little Atletico freed themselves from the early pressure from Sporting Lisbon and the first chances in front of goal began to arrive, although the first goal didn’t come until the thirty-third minute: Gabi launched a long ball from his own half to the edge of the Lisbon penalty box and the Portuguese keeper, obliged to come and clear, could only leave the ball at the feet of Torres who, from outside the area, headed into the unguarded net. Up to the break there were more chances for the red-and-whites but none were converted- most notably when Torres dribbled through the opposing defence but left himself without an angle to shoot from, and sent the ball wide, via the post.

In the second half Atletico kept up the tempo. Luccin and Gabi looked for space wide, where Petrov and Maxi probed dangerously deep. Meanwhile, Kezman and Torres exploited the gaps created by this movement. However, the second goal didn’t come from the boots of the forwards or the wide players. It was Luccin who, in the sixty-fourth minute, managed to break through after a move begun by Torres with a spectacular faked pass towards the edge of the area which Antonio Lopez picked up and crossed into the box to find the head of the Frenchman. Shortly afterwards Sporting managed to reduce the gap via a penalty converted by Rogelio, but it wasn’t to be the game’s final goal. Seven minutes from the final whistle Maxi orchestrated an incursion down the right flank and sent the ball into the centre of the eighteen yard box where Torres was waiting- he slipped his marker and headed firmly into the back of the net.

Wit a minute to go Carlos Bianchi substituted his captain who received a warm ovation from the crowd in El Vivero on his way to the changing room.


Photo: J. A. Sirvent