The defeat against Celta (0-3) harvested by Atletico of Madrid puts a little more far away from their reach the so desired European objective, since there are eight points separating the ‘colchoneros’ from the top position on the chart. The match was solved with a deceptive result, since the Galicians made few merits to achieve a wide victory, the other way around by Atletico: Once again Pepe Murcia’s players didn't find the way to the goal in spite of having supported the weight of the game during almost all the game.

Fernando Vazquez set out from the start an intelligent match, based on defensive solidity and fast-break as the best weapon to get a good result from his visit at Calderon. Atletico entered pleasant in the game and consented from the first minute to get control of the match. Although with a not very showy game, the local had the possession of the ball ever without arriving to the goal of Pinto with clarity. The first fright for the red-and-white ones arrived at 26', when Cannobio made it alone in front of Leo Franco, but the Argentinean saved the action taking out a foot when the goal seemed unavoidable.

The answer came by Fernando Torres, he could open the scoreboard thanks to a header after a pass by Petrov that left licking the right post. However the clearest chance for Atletico was a shot by Antonio Lopez that a defender saved under the crossbar when the fans already gave the goal for real.

During the second half the team from Vigo didn't renounced to their analysis: firms on defense, fasts in the folds and incisive on the fast-breaks. On the other hand, the local, in spite of proving that their only goal was the victory, didn't finish finding a way that took them up at the scoreboard. Then, Pepe Murcia’s players suffered the first blow: at 69' when the former-red-and-white Lequi took advantage of a defensive mistake to hit a corner serve to the bottom of the net.

With 0-1 at the scoreboard arrived the turn for the refereeing polemic. Iriney lost the balance inside the area as he failed a shot when he was alone in front of the goalkeeper, and Lizondo Cortes pointed out the penalty point after consulting to his assistant. The kicking of Baiano met with Leo Franco’s good skill that stopped with solvency the shot, but the referee ordered to repeat the penalty kick alleging invasion of the area by the local players. The second time Baiano didn't forgive and Atletico whatched impotent how definitively three points were gone from their hands.

The last straw arrived at the discount, when the Dutch player De Ridder gained their back to the defenders and resolved with success the one on one. After the final whistle three points more escaped from Calderon against a direct rival in the fight for Europe, although the goal is still possible because there are 21 points to dispute during the last seven days of the National Championship of League.


Photo: J. A. Sirvent