Atletico of Madrid suffered a defeat against Deportivo at Riazor (1-0), a damned scene for the red and white team in the last seasons. The final result doesn’t make justice to the merits of an Atletico that deserved more, although they missed the luck to score. The lonely goal by Arizmendi was enough to achieve a victory that places them with a point above the red and white squad.

At the beginning of the match Javier Aguirre’s players dedicated an emotional memory to Martin Petrov who is injured, and settled a shirt on the grass that was written on ‘We are with you, Petrov’. The Mexican lined up a team with Luccin, Maniche and Costinha forming a trio in the middle of the field, Mista and Galletti at the wings and Fernando Torres as the offensive reference. From the beginning of the match the red and white team looked for the victory, touching in the middle of the field. Mista open the hostilities at 6’ with a header and Galletti try it a little bit later with a right shot that Aouate was able to move before entering in the net by the left side.

Deportivo tried to react against the red and white offense, but the Galicians didn’t demonstrate clarity with the ball. Atletico dominated, but once again the injured plague appear and Mista had to get out of the field entering Agüero, after the change the Galicians started to had more offensive presence and they didn’t wait: Riki at 33’ executed a powerful shot that made Leo Franco put everything into it. In spite of the white and blue revive team, Luccin started the clearest occasion till that moment with a foul kick that crash into the post of the rival goal.

In the second half Fernando Torres, until then with difficulties to control the ball in an excessively wet field due to the rain, achieved to stand alone in front of Aouate. The number ‘9’ culminated with the left an individual move, although the goalkeeper was able block the danger with a great intervention.

The match started being a tactic battle in which Atletico, in spite of having more weight, wasn’t able to translate his control on the field with advantage at the scoreboard. Deportivo achieved to get forward with an Arizmendi action. The ex- red and white beat Leo Franco with a header in a play from a foul kick.

Atletico didn’t fail and kept making clear goal occasions. Fernando Torres culminated a play with Agüero, but he met again with an impeccable Aouate who saved a shot that could have been the tie. It was the last chance for Atletico in a match that little by little was losing the pace due to continuous breaks. Finally, a defeat for Atletico that in spite of the effort, definitely the three points were going to Deportivo’s account.


Technical data:

Deportivo: Aouate; Barragán, Lopo, Arbeloa, Capdevila; Coloccini, (Duscher, 60’), Sergio (Verdú, 46’), Arizmendi, Cristian (Filipe, 68’); Juan Rodríguez and Riki.

Atlético of Madrid: Leo Franco; Valera, Pablo, Perea (Jurado, 86’), Antonio López; Costinha (Pernía, 71’), Luccin, Maniche; Galletti, Mista (Agüero, 23’) and Fernando Torres.

Referee: Pérez Lasa. He showed for Deportivo yellow cards to Riki (19’), Sergio (38’), Coloccini (48’), Duscher (61’) and Barragán (72’); for Atlético showed caution to Costinha (28’), Fernando Torres (43’), Valera (76’), Antonio López (86’) and Pernía (89’).

Goals:

1-0 (65’). Arizmendi scored with a header from a foul kick.


Photo: Jose Antonio Garcia Sirvent