Getafe 2-1 Atletico Madrid: Arambarri late brace sees hosts complete comeback victory against title chasing Atleti
Atletico Madrid's opportunity to ascend to the top of the LaLiga standings was thwarted as their city rivals, Getafe, secured a late 2-1 victory at the Coliseum.
This marked Getafe's first win in 25 encounters against Atletico in the top flight, while also delivering Diego Simeone his inaugural defeat against teams managed by Jose Bordalas.
For Atletico, who made only three changes from their midweek defeat to Real Madrid, this match posed a significant challenge. With the second leg against their local rivals on the horizon, the Rojiblancos were cautious, failing to register a shot on target during the first half.
Getafe, on the other hand, executed a robust defensive strategy, which was anticipated given their league-leading low of 0.65 total first-half goals prior to this match.
Antoine Griezmann, who had netted seven goals in his last eight league encounters with Getafe, found it difficult to make an impact initially. Nevertheless, he posed a threat during set pieces, narrowly missing the target with a header from a corner shortly after the 30-minute mark.
Getafe's most promising opportunity in the first half arose from a set piece, where Christantus Uche connected with a free-kick but could only direct his header into the hands of Jan Oblak.
A double substitution from the Atletico bench failed to invigorate the visitors, who struggled to convert their considerable possession into meaningful chances against their rivals.
As Getafe consistently outperformed Atletico, the introduction of the formidable Alexander Sorloth seemed a sensible decision. However, a moment of concern arose for the Rojiblancos just after the hour mark when a half-hearted attempt from Ramon Terrats was mishandled by Oblak, who swiftly regained control to avert any potential threat from lurking Getafe players.
As the final fifteen minutes of the match approached, Robin Le Normand connected with a free-kick that appeared destined for the goal after a deflection off Omar Alderete, who managed to clear it off the line.
However, Alderete's commendable effort was overshadowed by a controversial VAR decision for an accidental handball, leading to a penalty kick that Sorloth converted with a low left-footed shot into the bottom-right corner.
Given their heavy reliance on physical play throughout the match, Getafe was not anticipated to mount a comeback. Yet, almost unexpectedly, shortly after Angel Correa received a red card for a high challenge on Djene, Getafe equalized from a free-kick, with Mauro Arambarri scoring at the near post.
Just a few minutes later, Arambarri outdid himself by completing his brace, connecting with a low pass from Diego Rico and finding the back of the net. This goal not only widened the gap between Getafe and the relegation zone to seven points but also significantly impacted Atletico’s title aspirations, as Simeone’s squad now faces a challenging series of upcoming matches.
SportsLigue