Oblak's Heroics Propel Atletico Madrid Past Real Betis, March 03, - Atletico Madrid clinched a vital 2-1 victory over Real Betis on Sunday, breaking their recent rut and extending their undefeated streak against Los Verdiblancos to 10 matches. The triumph served as a much-needed morale boost for the home team, who had only secured one victory in their previous seven outings across all competitions.
The hosts seized the lead in just seven minutes through an unfortunate own goal. Mario Hermoso initiated the play in Betis' territory, maintaining his advance as the ball found its way to Memphis Depay on the right flank. Depay's low cross was intercepted by Hector Bellerin, but the deflection off German Pezzella and subsequent touch by goalkeeper Rui Silva sent the ball into the net off the post.
Atletico continued their dominance in the first half, with Silva thwarting Depay's attempts with a double save. In the 25th minute, Alvaro Morata earned a penalty following a VAR review after being fouled by Silva. However, the goalkeeper made an astute guess and not only stopped the penalty but also parried away two follow-up attempts. Morata redeemed himself before halftime, nodding in a rebound after Silva denied Rodrigo De Paul's long-range effort.
Betis showed improvement after the break, with Jan Oblak denying Willian Jose's headed effort. Nonetheless, the visitors narrowed the gap just after the hour mark when William Carvalho unleashed a splendid strike from 25 yards out into the top corner, marking his first goal of the season.
In the final 15 minutes, Oblak played a pivotal role in preserving Atletico's lead, making crucial saves to thwart Ayoze Perez and Gabriel. The victory serves as a timely morale booster for Diego Simeone's squad ahead of their midweek UEFA Champions League second-leg clash against Inter Milan. Meanwhile, Betis' five-match unbeaten streak comes to a halt, and they remain without an away victory against a top-half team this season.
No comments:
Post a Comment