Atlético Madrid have started the title defense in La Liga with a hard-fought victory. The team of trainer Diego Simeone, working on its eleventh season for the selection of los Colchoneros, was 1-2 too strong for Celta de Vigo in a match with no less than ten minutes of extra time. Ángel Correa was responsible for the goals of the reigning champions.
Celta, with Renato Tapia in the starting line-up, failed to create any danger in the first half. Atlético finished a comfortable first half and went into halftime thanks to a wonderful goal from Correa. After just over twenty minutes, Simeone’s team took the lead in Balaidos: after a good rush, Thomas Lemar handed the ball over to Correa in time, who sent the ball from just outside the penalty area into the right corner behind the nailed goalkeeper Matías. Dituro shot: 0-1.
Soooo, what a rocket from Correa! ?? Ángel Correa makes a great effort and puts Atlético Madrid ahead against Celta de Vigo ??#ZiggoSport #LaLiga #CeltaAthletic pic.twitter.com/Yw66M9ylMh
— Ziggo Sport Football (@ZS_Voetbal) August 15, 2021
Due to an unfortunate moment in the goal mouth, Atlético saw the lead disappear ten minutes after the break. Marcos Llorente got the ball against his hand and after studying the images, the referee José Luis Munuera Montero pointed to the spot. Iago Aspas sent Jan Oblak into the wrong corner: 1-1. Celta’s joy was short-lived. Five minutes after the 1-1, Simeone’s team took the lead again. After a pass by Saúl Ñíguez from the left, Correa shot the ball into the left corner: 1-2.
A few minutes later, debutant Rodrigo De Paul, Kieran Trippier and Luis Suárez made their appearance on the field. Celta emphatically looked for the equalizer, while Atletico tried to make the spaces as small as possible and wanted to take the pace out of the game. Santi Mina and especially Aspas failed to give the home team a point. Face to face with Oblak, the attacker outplayed the goalkeeper, and then did not work the leather into the empty goal.
The second for Atleti, the second for ngel Correa! ?? The umpteenth outbreak, this one is sharp and so the Madrilenians are ahead again?#ZiggoSport #LaLiga #CeltaAthletic pic.twitter.com/ummpo93sUt
— Ziggo Sport Football (@ZS_Voetbal) August 15, 2021
Deep into extra time, Dituro prevented Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco from closing the game with a sublime save. A minute later, there was a disturbance in midfield and both Mario Hermoso and Hugo Mallo were shown red cards. In the tenth minute of extra time, Óscar Ortega, one of Simeone’s assistants, also received a red card. Atlético will play at home against Elche next Sunday.