Once again, it couldn’t be. Atletico didn't pass from the tie to one at the Olympic Stadium Lluis Companys. Gabi scored at 47' for Atletico, but the bad luck of the last ten minutes returned again and seven minutes for the end of the match Espanyol tied the game. The draw don't benefit the aspirations of none of both teams, although the results of the day were favourable for the European yearnings of Atletico.

The red-and-white players knew about the importance of the match: from the start they showed to be firm in defense and Espanyol was with difficulties to arrive to Leo Franco’s goal. Pepe Murcia's players, without ideas, neither arrived with clarity to the rival area till 21', when Valera practiced the chilean in a shot. The clearest chance for the other team was a strong shot by Luis Garcia that the goalkeeper saved without problems. Only one minute for half time when Gabi, who entered on the field replacing Ibagaza, made a shot from the frontal by a pass by Kezman that came out lightly turned aside.

The second half brought good news for the visitors. Just a couple of minutes took them to take advantage at the scoreboard thanks to a Gabi's spectacular goal. The youth player showed a hard shot that perforated the goal of Iraizoz. Far from being happy with the minimum difference, the ‘colchoneros’ searched for the sentence of the match, and didn't lack of chances to score the second. A foul-kick of Galletti that hit the crossbar, a shot of Valera... Fernando Torres also enjoyed chances, but the captain made everything well except the definition.

The second goal seemed to be question of time. Nothing else far from the reality, since Espanyol was the one that was able to score at 83' the goal of the tie, and to revive this way the nightmare of the 'syndrome of the last ten minutes' that so many points have cost Atletico this season. The Uruguayan culminated a splendid play of the Catalan square with an unstoppable header for Leo Franco. Little or nothing else happened until the game ended that finally was settled with the distribution of points.


Photo: J. A. Sirvent