Atlético Madrid are alive, the Metropolitano interrupting all the singing and the bouncing to erupt one last time as deep into added time at the end of a derby day they will never forget, Antoine Griezmann slotted the ball under Thibaut Courtois to score their fifth. Yes, five. So much for boring, so much for the title race being over already. So much for Real Madrid’s invincibility; this was a destruction and it was thoroughly deserved.
When that last one went in, it seemed almost absurd to recall that Atlético had been 2-1 down, that a familiar fear had hung here. This was fun instead; for almost the entire second half it had been certain too: there had been no doubts, just enjoyment. Goals from Robin Le Normand, Alex Sørloth and two from Julián Alvarez had seen them come back from 2-1 down to 4-2 and now, here it was, one last flourish. A manita as they call it in Spain: a little hand, a goal for each finger. Clenched perhaps: it had hit Madrid hard, and unexpectedly so.
Continue reading…Atlético Madrid are alive, the Metropolitano interrupting all the singing and the bouncing to erupt one last time as deep into added time at the end of a derby day they will never forget, Antoine Griezmann slotted the ball under Thibaut Courtois to score their fifth. Yes, five. So much for boring, so much for the title race being over already. So much for Real Madrid’s invincibility; this was a destruction and it was thoroughly deserved.When that last one went in, it seemed almost absurd to recall that Atlético had been 2-1 down, that a familiar fear had hung here. This was fun instead; for almost the entire second half it had been certain too: there had been no doubts, just enjoyment. Goals from Robin Le Normand, Alex Sørloth and two from Julián Alvarez had seen them come back from 2-1 down to 4-2 and now, here it was, one last flourish. A manita as they call it in Spain: a little hand, a goal for each finger. Clenched perhaps: it had hit Madrid hard, and unexpectedly so. Continue reading…
