MADRID : Atletico Madrid finally got their season up and running on Saturday, with Pablo Barrios and Nico Gonzalez on target in a 2-0 home victory over Villarreal that delivered the Spanish side’s first win of the campaign.
The victory lifted Atletico to ninth in the LaLiga standings with five points from four games, while dealing Villarreal their first defeat a month into the season.
The visitors remain fourth on seven points, five behind leaders Real Madrid.
Atletico struck early when Julian Alvarez capitalised on a defensive howler in the ninth minute, pouncing on Sergi Cardona’s wayward back-pass to Renato Veiga before bursting into the box and brilliantly putting the ball on a plate for Barrios with a backheel pass. The midfielder fired a first-touch effort past Luiz Junior and into the back of the net.
The hosts should have doubled their lead three minutes later when Giuliano Simeone missed a sitter from close range. He was unmarked inside the box after another fine pass from Alvarez, but sent his shot left of the far post.
Despite having more than 70 per cent of possession in the first half, Atletico looked clueless on how to approach Villarreal’s box and create real scoring opportunities,
Their opponents grew increasingly threatening, with Alberto Moleiro wasting two great chances from counter attacks and Nicolas Pepe running riot down the right channel before firing a free kick off the crossbar just before halftime.
Villarreal came back livelier after the break and tried to pile on the pressure but it was Atletico who made the most of a quick counter in the 52nd minute, with Gonzalez bursting past the defence to meet Marcos Llorente’s cross from the right with an unstoppable bullet header.
Atletico thought they had a third goal when Alexander Sorloth headed home from a corner in the 72nd minute, but referee Jose Luis Munuera Montero ruled it out for an alleged foul, a decision that left the home side players and fans fuming as the replay showed no signs of an infringement inside the box.
“It was very important to get points today after the bad run at the start of the season. Today we won in a really convincing fashion. We weren’t that bad before, nor are we that good now,” captain Koke told Movistar Plus.
The victory came at a cost, however, with Julian Alvarez, David Hancko and Robin Le Normand all forced off with injuries just four days before Atletico’s Champions League debut at Anfield against Liverpool.
