Atletico of Madrid suffered a lost at Vicente Calderon against Espanyol (1-2) breaking the positive run that took them to win points in the last five games. The red and white team usually has problems with the rival at their own Stadium and, although a brilliant Torres equalized Tamudo’s goal, they couldn’t achieve to overpass the setback of the second goal by Luis Garcia.

The match started uphill for the red and white team that once again was obligated to move up an adverse scoreboard: Ten minutes from the start of the match and Espanyol was already winning (0-1) when Tamudo finalized a move thanks to a mistake of the red and white defense. The scene of the match change completely and Valverde’s players opted to do nothing and to keep the score, but, without renouncing to their options of fast break looking for some flash by their forwards.

In spite of looking for the control of the game, the red and white team couldn’t do anything to get the possession of the ball against a strong rival on the field and with very clear ideas. Hardly some action by Agüero and a high shot by Petter Luccin in a foul play that took danger to the goal of Kameni. Minute 36’ was running when Fernando Torres appeared to make an individual move at the right wing. The captain, after dribbling the defenders, raised his sight and changed it to the left extreme of the area where Antonio Lopez was waiting to put a gold ball to Maniche. The Portuguese, alone against the goalkeeper sent a high ball when the goal seemed already done.

The second half started with some scares for Espanyol: the first one in a shot from ‘Kun’ Agüero that Kameni blocked and the second one in an individual move by Torres in which the captain went into from the left side to the heart of the area, although his pass didn’t found a shooter. The effort and the delivered of Fernando Torres found reward at 55’, when bursting in the area he sent the ball to the net with a right header. But it didn’t lost much the happiness of the tie, because five minutes later Luis Garcia left without words the stands of Calderon putting the ball inside Leo Franco’s goal with a very good foul kick from the front of the area.

The second goal supposed a hard blow for Javier Aguirre’s player that in spite of the setback kept crashing against a white and blue wall looking for a goal that would introduce them again in the match. The goal never came, in spite of the offensive contributions of Jurado and Mista that entered in substitution of Antonio Lopez and Agüero. Fernando Torres tried it at the end in an individual move that made him face Kameni, although the goalkeeper blocked the right leg shot of the captain.

The last chance was for Mista who saw how the referee cancelled a goal claiming foul to the goalkeeper. Finally there wasn’t a tie and Espanyol awarded the three points of a match with pace in which the Catalonian knew how to profit their chances. While Atletico ended the good run that took them to get results the last five games and leave them placed at the fifth position of the table.


Photo: www.clubatleticodemadrid.com