Atlético put four past Astana in Madrid
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Article summary
Atlético Madrid 4-0 Astana
Diego Simeone's team moved level with Benfica at the Group C summit thanks to a resounding victory against the Kazakh debutants.
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- Atlético move joint top of Group C with 4-0 win against Astana
- Saúl Ñíguez and Jackson Martínez on the mark inside opening half-hour
- Óliver Torres effort and Denys Dedechko own goal wrap up victory
- Atlético level on six points with Benfica; Kazakh debutants bottom with one point
- The sides meet again at the Astana Arena on 3 November
Atlético Madrid got back to winning ways and moved top of UEFA Champions League Group C with a resounding 4-0 win against Astana.
It was one-way traffic from the off, Diego Godín's set-piece threat a particular cause of concern for the Astana defence. The Kazakh debutants were resolute enough but Atlético bided their time and were rewarded midway through the first half. From their seventh corner of the night, Yannick Carrasco drove into the area and fed a low cross for Saúl Ñíguez, who impishly back-heeled past Nenad Erić.
Diego Simeone's team were two up six minutes later, Jackson Martínez showing delicate control to swivel and fire past Erić from inside the box. The visiting goalkeeper then showed sharp reactions to deny the Colombian international five minutes before the break.
Half-time did little to stem the tide so it was little surprise when Atlético added a third just after the hour. This time there was little Erić could do as substitute Óliver Torres latched onto Gabi's through ball and chipped in. Though Fernando Torres was denied a century of Atlético goals late on, his side's evening was completed in the 89th minute when Denys Dedechko inadvertently steered Juanfran's cross into his own net.
Key player: Yannick Carrasco
Operating on the left, the Belgian international was a thorn in the visitors' side all evening. Showing great potency going forward, as well as a real willingness to help win the ball back, he provided the assist for Atlético's first with a drop of the shoulder and precise centre. He was also unfortunate not to get the goal his performance – his best so far for Atlético – deserved.
Jackson Martínez finding his way
After a difficult start to life in the Spanish capital, Jackson Martínez has begun to find his feet in recent weeks, albeit without the slice of fortune he needed to truly kick-start his Atlético career. However, perhaps his luck has now changed.
Simeone's super-sub
The interval introduction of Óliver Torres was an attacking move from Simeone and his boldness paid off when the 20-year-old netted the third. Torres showed a deft touch and eye for a pass late on as he fed namesake and fellow replacement Fernando, who so nearly registered his 100th goal for the club.
Reaction:
Diego Simeone, Atlético coach
The happiness of the players [after Jackson Martínez's goal] proves the commitment of the group and their affection towards Jackson. I'm sure it will give him confidence. Yannick Carrasco played his first UEFA Champions League match as a starter and did well. He is growing. We handled the match well and took advantage of our opportunities. I imagine a different match in Astana. It will be tough, completely different. We will go there with the best possible team to win the match.
Stanimir Stoilov, Astana coach
Atlético dominated during the first half, we made some big mistakes. In the second half we played better. The third and fourth goal were our mistakes. We left some players in Astana but even with them it would have been difficult to win tonight. We will try play our own game and do it well at home [in the return fixture]. Benfica and Atlético are at a higher level but we will try to be at that same level at home.