Again and again Griezmann: scorer in overtime, the French striker allowed Atlético de Madrid to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey on Thursday by beating their rival Real (4-2) at the Metropolitano.
Honored before the match as the new top scorer in the history of his club by a splendid ovation from his supporters, Antoine Griezmann did them well by bringing Atléti closer to qualification after a crazy match with a shot into the top corner. after deposing Vinicius (100th, 3-2). A 175th goal from the Frenchman, followed by another from Riquelme (119th, 4-2), who signs his team’s revenge a week after a bitter defeat against Real in the semi-final of the Spanish Super Cup in another crazy meeting (5-3 after extra time) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The red and white team joins FC Barcelona in the quarters, which earlier defeated a D3 club, Salamanca (3-1), Girona, Seville, Bilbao, Mallorca, Celta Vigo and Real Sociedad. During a tense start to the match, in an incandescent atmosphere heated by a few invectives and numerous smoke bombs fired in front of the stadium, it was Carlo Ancelotti’s Merengues who took control of the game.
Two gifts and Griezmann emerges
Elusive, the providential man of Real, Jude Bellingham, cooled the Colchoneros supporters by finding the left bar after a number in the area where he played three opposing defenders (11th). The Merengues, usually so efficient, this time did not know how to take advantage of their strong moment and were surprised against the run of play by a goal from Lino, quicker than Lunin to take a lofted ball from De Paul blocked by Rüdiger ( 39th, 1-0). But they quickly got back into the match thanks to a completely botched exit from the Slovenian goalkeeper Oblak, who deflected Modric’s free kick into his own goal (46th, 1-1).
Dominated and without solutions in attack, Diego Simeone’s men regained the advantage shortly before the hour mark with a goal from nowhere from Morata following a disagreement between Rüdiger and Lunin, crucifying once again his former club (57th, 2-1). A second situation poorly managed by the young Ukrainian goalkeeper, although preferred to Kepa as in the Super Cup final against Barça (4-1), to compensate for the long absence of the holder Thibaut Courtois.
A 175th goal with Atlético for Griezmann
The Madrilenians could have equalized but lacked success by hitting Oblak’s bar a second time (75th), before Lunin pulled off the match parade which avoided the break goal on a Morata attempt (82nd). Having come close to the precipice, Real, as often this season, had the resources to come back, Joselu equalizing with a header from a perfect cross from Bellingham (83rd, 2-2). A new decisive achievement from the Spanish supersub, already author of the 4-3 in overtime in the Super Cup last week.
But extra time favored the locals, Griezmann blasting the Metropolitano with a powerful shot from the tight corner after clearing Vinicius on the right side (100th, 3-2). The young Rodrigo Riquelme added a fourth goal against (119th) to seal the qualification of his team in a deafening noise.