Atletico Madrid 3-1 Slovan Bratislava: Alvarez on target as Atleti dump visitors out of Champions League
Atletico Madrid achieved their tenth consecutive victory across all competitions by defeating Slovan Bratislava 3-1 at the Estadio Metropolitano.
This result ensured that the Slovakian team exited the UEFA Champions League (UCL), marking them as only the sixth team in the tournament's history to lose all of their initial six matches.
Diego Simeone's squad, known for their late-game prowess this season, took a brief period of ten minutes to establish their rhythm. Once they did, Slovan found it challenging to advance beyond the halfway line.
The first goal came shortly after the quarter-hour mark when Samuel Lino assisted Julian Alvarez. The Argentine forward skillfully opened his body and curled a stunning shot into the top corner, marking his twelfth goal in the Champions League.
Even with a one-goal deficit, Slovan's recent performance in this competition suggested that a comeback would be difficult. However, their standout player, Tigran Barseghyan, nearly equalized with a remarkable effort that struck the crossbar during a rare offensive push.
Unfortunately for Slovan, Barseghyan sustained an injury and had to leave the field just eight minutes later. To make matters worse, Atletico extended their lead before halftime.
A long ball from Pablo Barrios found Marcos Llorente at the back post, who then set up Antoine Griezmann for a header, giving Atletico a comfortable advantage.
However, just six minutes into the second half, Slovan reduced the deficit with a penalty. Clement Lenglet's attempt to clear a cross resulted in a foul on David Strelec, who successfully converted the penalty after a VAR review.
This goal created a sense of unease among the Atletico supporters, but Griezmann quickly alleviated those concerns by restoring the two-goal cushion just five minutes later.
Koke delivered a precise ball into the area, allowing Griezmann to spin and score at the near post, effectively halting Slovan's hopes of a comeback.
Damage control seemed to be the primary focus for Slovan following that moment, as Alvarez, Lino, and Griezmann all came close to netting a fourth goal for the home team.
The substitution of this formidable trio brought a sense of relief to the visitors with just under 20 minutes left in the match, indicating that Atletico had eased off their intensity in anticipation of their upcoming match against Getafe.
This strategy nearly proved detrimental for Simeone’s squad, as Jan Oblak thwarted Slovan's attempt at a second goal. However, the Slovakian side could not recover, becoming the first team since domestic rivals Zilina to lose all of their initial six matches in the UEFA Champions League during their debut.
As a result, their hopes of advancing have been extinguished, while Atletico Madrid has positioned themselves in the race for automatic qualification to the knockout stage.
SportsLigue