Villarreal vs Atlético Madrid Match Preview
Estadio El Madrigal, Saturday 4.00PM
Both teams lost during the week and proved once again that we just don’t know with these teams this season. It is probably the most unpredictable game of Matchday 33 as we don’t know what version of each team we will have on the pitch.
Although Villareal has improved vastly in the second half of the year they still lack that solidity and consistency of past seasons. Fortunately for them only Getafe took advantage of their defeat and they are still very much in contention to book a place for Europe next season. Ibagaza has insisted that the team should continue to look ahead saying ‘we need to continue being positive’.
On the other hand Atletico best chance to qualify to Europe is more likely via the Copa Del Rey as after losing against bottom side Xerez they did not take advantage of the many defeats of the teams above them. The eight point gap continues but now the finishing line is closer with only eighteen points to play for so it seems likely that Quique Sanchez Flores will be concentrating on both the Copa Del Rey final and the Europa League semifinal.
Villarreal vs Atlético Madrid Match Report
Villareal slept Saturday night for a second time this season in European places. Atletico on the other hand have completed disconnected from the league with their third consecutive defeat, now having all their sights on the European fixture on Thursday against Liverpool.
The game as the result shows was rather tight and as Atletico's manager said ‘if we have lose then I hope it will always be like this’. However Atletico were poor at the back and due to its little intensity in defense they presented Villareal with both their goals. The first in the 21st minute from a corner where Godin got onto the cross with a back-heel which De Gea could only watch the ball go in. However the Madrid team responded quickly with a Reyes missile from outside the box that was a just a few inches high and with a cross from Jurado that accidentally got direction towards goal and ended up hitting the bar.
However right at the end of the first half the rojiblanco team ended up throwing the game away with a string of mistakes at the back. First Ujfalusi lost the ball just outside the box as he was bringing it out, then when the Atletico defenders thought Assuncao had made a penalty they all stopped and finally Ujfalusi at mistake again instead of kicking the ball away ended up hitting it against a colleague which Villareal took advantage first with a Llorente shot that was saved but Rossi netted the rebound in. This goal will go down undoubtedly as the ‘silly’ goal of the weekend.
In the 64th minute Atletico got a goal back after Reyes with a solo play which saw him dribble a couple of players and put a fantastic mid height assist to Aguero who then with a diagonal shot scored a great goal. Tiago could of drawn but his diagonal shot from just outside the box curled just out of the goal. The score did not change and we would only have to add the Villareal manager Garrido was sent off in injury time for protests towards the referee.
