Atlético Madrid have won a game away from home for the first time in five months, riding a strong first half to a 2-0 victory at Real Betis in Estadio La Cartuja.
The first half saw a great defensive effort from Los Colchoneros, marked by sharp counterattacks and dangerous runs from the flanks. Atlético couldn’t have picked a better moment to return to their classic style of play. In the second half, they defended their lead with composure, doing just enough to see the result through. It’s a positive
step forward, showing the kind of resilience that’s been missing this season. A massive win on the road (look at us, who would’ve thought?) that puts Atleti back in the top four, just one point off the top three.
Jan Oblak (7) – Two great saves in each half. A vintage stop on Giovani Lo Celso in the 68th minute, and a fantastic save on Júnior Firpo’s attempt with 10 minutes to go. Confident and composed throughout.
José María Giménez (7) – Strong defensive display. Few in Europe are better when healthy. Josema does a fantastic job anchoring Atleti’s backline and organizing the unit.
Marcos Llorente (6) – Solid as usual. Defended well and initiated attacks when needed. His mere presence seemed to stop Lo Celso from scoring early in the second half.
Dávid Hancko (7) – Like Llorente, very reliable. Comfortable defending both centrally and on the left. Has Cholo Simeone found his new left-back?
Robin Le Normand (6) – Decent performance overall, though still a liability in aerial duels. Needs to be stronger in that area.
Koke (6) – Quiet in the first half but instrumental in Atleti’s second-half defensive shape. Subbed off for Thiago Almada in the last 10 minutes.
Pablo Barrios (6) – Continues to show poise and maturity in midfield. Defended well when called upon. Picked up a knock on 53 minutes and was subbed off, hopefully nothing serious.
Àlex Baena (9) – What a player, what a goal. Having Baena back and healthy is the jolt Atleti needed. Tracked back well, broke lines, and provided incisive passes. Did everything right — shades of a young Antoine Griezmann. Subbed off in the 60’ for Griezmann himself.
Giuliano Simeone (9) – “Nepotism” strikes again. Qué golazo! An incredible volley to open the scoring, plus relentless work rate tracking back. Later made a fantastic run past former Atleti target Amrabat to create a huge chance. Played both LM and RM and turned Betis’s defense into Swiss cheese. My pick for Man of the Match. Subbed off for Nahuel Molina in the 82nd minute.
Nico González (5) – Promising effort in the 15th minute, but faded afterward. Shows attacking potential, but execution and defensive tracking were inconsistent.
Julián Alvarez (5) – Quiet outing for La Araña. Missed a big chance from Giuliano’s dazzling run and shot assistin the 30’. Later swung a cross to the back post that missed everything but an onrushing Baena, who lashed it in for 2-0. Subbed off on the hour for Alexander Sørloth.
Substitutions:
Conor Gallagher (5) – Replaced the injured Barrios. Gave away a free kick that Ez Abde smacked off the crossbar. Made a good run late on and did his job when Atlético went into time-wasting mode.
Antoine Griezmann (5) – Replaced Baena on the hour. Showed flashes of class as always, but nothing magical from Grizi today.
Alexander Sørloth (5) – Subbed in for Alvarez on the hour. Say something nice about Sørloth… he’s tall?
Thiago Almada (N/A) – Came on for Koke in the 82nd minute. Good to see him string a few games together following his injury — hopefully he gets more minutes soon.
Nahuel Molina (N/A) – Replaced Giuliano in the 82nd minute. Easy to root for Molina; hoping he finds his form again.
Conclusion: An electric first half of football followed by a second half of defending — and then even more defending — gives Atlético a much-needed away win. Sevilla now awaits Los Rojiblancos at the Metropolitano, where Atleti will look to climb into third place and continue closing the gap on Madrid and Barça.
