Why did Atletico Madrid lose to Athletic Club in the Copa del Rey semi-final?
Atletico Madrid were humbled 3-0 in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final against Athletic Club at the Estadio San Mames on Thursday, February 29. This means they crash out of the competition after a 4-0 aggregate defeat, having lost the first leg 1-0 at home.
With just one win in their last six games prior to this contest, many would argue Diego Simeone’s men had it coming. They also failed to score in three of those six games, which was probably a sign of things to come. But why did they fall short in such comprehensive fashion?
Atletico Madrid’s last few games
Two games prior to the second leg, Atletico Madrid had to navigate a challenging Champions League round of 16 first leg tie against Inter Milan. For context, the Italians were on a 10-game undefeated streak heading into that game. They had also won five-in-a-row and kept clean sheets in four of those games.
Atleti put up a strong fight in defence but misfired in attack as none of their seven shots were on target that night. Inter Milan had a staggering 19 attempts and managed to score one goal, which ultimately proved enough. However, Diego Simeone lost a key player in Antoine Griezmann after the Frenchman came off injured in the 78th minute.
They also put in a rather timid display against Almeria in a 2-2 draw in their last game. Having grabbed the lead through Angel Correa in just the second minute, they failed to take control of the game against a team that had just eight points before kick-off. It was Almeria’s ninth draw of the season and they are yet to register a win in 26 games.
Where did Diego Simeone’s men fall short?
Against Athletic Club in the second leg, Atleti made a slow start and also failed to capitalize on their chances. The hosts scored from two of their three first-half attempts, while the visitors managed just two shots on target from seven attempts.
The second half was a similar story as Valverde’s men hit the target five times from seven attempts, while Simeone’s team hit the target four times from 10 attempts. Athletic Club grabbed a third goal and put an end to any hopes of a comeback as it was 4-0 on aggregate.
Ultimately, the team with more efficiency and organisation to their play won the game. The fact that Atletico Madrid were missing Griezmann did affect their play, but not scoring a single goal is quite a shame.
They will now hope to overturn their first-leg deficit against Inter Milan, or else La Liga is the only silverware they can contest for. That too, seems out of reach, as Atletico are 13 points off Real Madrid in top spot.
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