Atletico Madrid 1 Galatasaray 1, Vicente Calderon, Europa League, 18/Feb/10

Los Colchoneros fielded their strongest possible eleven, with David De Gea keeping his place in goal, while Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan started upfront.Galatasaray, meanwhile, had former Rojiblanco Leo Franco in goal, but were missing Harry Kewell.The match got off to a cagey start, with both sides struggling to hold on to the ball for any meaningful length of time. It took 12 minutes for the first effort on goal, when Arda Turan volleyed wide from inside the box. The Turk was looking lively, and he soon tested De Gea, but the young keeper was equal to his drive from outside the box. The home side were struggling to test their former 'keeper, but on 22 minutes, Jose Antonio Reyes pulled a rabbit out of the hat. Standing over a free kick from just outside the box, the winger let fly and saw his shot race into the top corner of the net, leaving Leo Franco with no chance. Set pieces were proving a constant threat for the visitors, and Forlan was soon testing Franco with another one on the half hour mark, which was tipped over the bar. With ten minutes left in the first half, Frank Rijkaard made a substitution, taking Caner Erkin off for Giovani Dos Santos. However, the action was still all at the other end, with Aguero seeing his toe-poke well parried by Franco. Los Rojiblancos continued to press, and Forlan soon saw his shot across goal go just the wrong side of the post. Soon after, Raul Garcia got his head onto a Reyes free kick, but sent it straight at the 'keeper. Finally, just before the break, Simao let fly with an audacious volley from outside the box, which bounced back off the post with Franco stranded. It looked as though the hosts would comfortably see out the rest of the half, but Mustafa Sarp provided a scare when he headed Elano's free kick goalwards, only for De Gea to pull off a stunning save. That was the final chance of the half, with all left to play for in the second. The second half started much like the first, with both sides taking a while to settle back into the intense rhythm they had previously established. It took ten minutes for the first shot on goal, when Kader Keita let fly from outside the box, requiring a smart save by De Gea. Just before the hour mark, Forlan was replaced by Jose Manuel Jurado, as Atleti looked to shore up their midfield. Aguero was still threatening though, and after going on a mazy run, it required a diving save from Franco to stop him grabbing the second. Then, Simao stood over another free kick and let fly, but again his ex team-mate came to the rescue. With 20 minutes remaining, Atleti received a blow as De Gea suffered an injury while taking a goal kick, requiring him to be replaced by Sergio Asenjo. The substitute nearly had a horrific introduction, when he was caught in no-man's land trying to stop Sarp's header, but Tomas Ujfalusi rescued the situation on the line. However, minutes later, the damage was done when Keita turned in Hakan Balta's cross at the near post, with Asenjo's positioning more than suspect. Both sides now seemed eager to find the winner, and Simao was thwarted by Leo Franco once more with ten minutes left. Soon, Reyes was substituted for Eduardo Salvio, and the Argentine nearly scored with his first touch in an Atleti shirt, but he turned Valera's cross wide. That proved to be the final chance of the match, as Galatasaray grabbed a crucial away goal, giving them the edge for the second leg.

Atletico Madrid 2 Barcelona 1, Vicente Calderon, La Liga, 14/Feb/10

Atletico Madrid went into the game knowing that a win could move them well clear of the bottom of the table. For Barcelona, the chance was to create a five-point gap between themselves and Real Madrid at the top. An entertaining first half saw a sloppy Barcelona side quickly concede a two-goal lead. However, they managed to get a goal back, which meant that they were never out of the game. The second period of play was a lot grittier and took the pattern of Barcelona trying to get through an organised Atletico defence. Atletico could have got off to the worst possible start inside the second minute. Goalkeeper, De Gea, nearly fumbled a catch from a weak shot, which would have seen the ball fall right at the feet of Ibrahimovic.
Seydou Keita then had to be replaced just a minute later as he pulled up with what looked like a bad muscular injury. However, there was still enough experience in the away side to be able to dominate the midfield area. It was Atletico who looked the feistier of the two sides and this paid off quickly when Diego Forlan put the home side 1-0 up inside the first ten minutes. Joe Reyes made a neat little run from the left wing, beating a couple of players before Forlan tucked the ball past an on rushing Victor Valdes. Barcelona should have replied almost instantly through their big Swedish front man. Ibrahimovic controlled the ball brilliantly, created a little bit of space but was dispossessed just as he was about to pull the trigger. The La Liga leaders looked a little shell-shocked and Atletico should have doubled their lead through Sergio Aguero. Aguero timed a run superbly to beat the Barca offside trap but for some reason looked for another player when it seemed easier to score. The ball was cleared before the Argentine could think twice. A second goal came soon enough as Atletico continued their blistering start to the game. Simao curled the ball into the goal beautifully from a free kick on the left side of the area. Valdes watched helplessly as it flew in. Barcelona now had their work cut out. The La Liga and European champions showed their class and came back with an instant reply in the 27th minute, against the run of the game. Carles Puyol knocked the ball on from a corner and Ibrahimovic was on hand to volley the ball in at the back post. Ibrahimovic then rose above everyone else from another corner and connected well with a header. The ball bulleted towards the bottom left hand corner but De Gea got down at the last moment to smother the ball and prevent an equaliser.
Barcelona looked a completely different side as the game neared the half time mark. Lionel Messi combined well with Ibrahimovic before the Swede curled an effort at goal in the 34th minute. De Gea stretched out a hand to make a world class save but the tide was turning.
To their credit, Atletico dug deep and got stuck in. They kept the ball well in the Barcelona half and still looked good as they defended their lead into the break. Atletico started the second half slightly the better of the sides. They were keeping the ball a lot better, however, the general feeling of the game was that they would need another to hold Barcelona off for long enough.
Barca quickly found their second half feet, when Ibrahimovic found himself in another superb position. Perea rushed across to snuff out the danger when it seemed that the alarm bells were about to go off in the Atletico defence. Barcelona then tried to walk the ball into the net before the hour mark, but after a scramble or six, the ball was kicked away with some authority. The away team were going to have to find a little more precision to get level. Atletico kept chipping away and had a number of players who could hurt the Spanish champions. Aguero managed to tussle past the intimidating figure of Puyol before forcing Valdes to spread his arms and palm the ball wide. Aguero and Puyol tussled again in the 65th minute as the Barca captain slid in with an inch perfect tackle. Aguero was looking to nick the ball in front of him and the referee would have had no choice but to award a penalty. Barcelona were building wave after wave of attack as the last twenty minutes quickly took a familiar pattern. The Atletico defence was looking solid and well organised but just one mistake could mean disaster. Atletico were playing on the counter. Jose Reyes broke into space and was looking to cut inside before he was axed by Maxwell. Home players surrounded the referee as the Barca man had already been booked but he waved away protests. Atletico held back their three substitutions to eat away at time during the last ten minutes. A stadium full of Atletico fans were biting their fingernails, hoping that their team could hang on.

Atletico Madrid 2 Sevilla 1, Vicente Calderon, La Liga, 02/Jan/09

A last gasp winner from Antonio Lopez was enough for Atletico Madrid to take all three points against the ten men of Sevilla in an encounter that both teams will probably want to forget.It was the away side who started slightly better and generated the first chance of any real note. Diego Perotti patrolled the left wing before getting a ball into the heart of the box, which Alvaro Negredo turned just wide of the target. Sevilla continued their glitzy and organised start to the game in both defence and attack. Diego Forlan, searching for confidence at Atletico Madrid was snuffed out by Ivica Dragutinovic in the 7th minute as the Uruguay looked set to lash the ball into the net. Madrid were starting to have a little spell of pressure and came more into the game just after the ten minute mark. Jose Reyes did well to find some space on the left but could not get his 11th minute effort on goal as the quality which has evaded the home side showed its face once again. The home crowd grew louder with frustrations becoming increasingly audible. Madrid were having plenty of the ball but just did not have the quality on the pitch to make it count. This was emphasised perfectly in the 18th minute when Diego Forlan ripped into Juan Valera for a floppy forward ball that the striker had no chance of controlling. Forlan was again in the play just minutes later when Perotti could not control a header. The ball fell to the Atletico front man who stormed forward only to find that he was the only player in a red and white shirt in any sight of the Sevilla goal. For a spell it seemed like Forlan was playing by himself. He drove forward again on 25 minutes and sent his effort just wide of the far post. Sevilla countered a little bit of Atletico pressure and had a chance to apply their own just after the half an hour mark. Romaric whipped in a good ball and it was the unlikely figure of Jose Reyes who stopped another Sevilla head from finding the ball as he did well to clear the danger. Perotti then broke with some good skill but was hampered by the linesman's flag as both sides searched for a genuine chance. The main problem for Atletico was what to do with the ball, which they were having plenty of. Reyes was drifting from wing to wing but had no delivery or killer pass. This was evident as the break approached when a Sevilla player ran from one side of the pitch to the other to tackle him and initiate a counter move. With both teams searching for ideas it was a defensive error from Abdoulay Konko who very nearly let in Reyes just before half time. The Sevilla player failed to control a rapid pass but recovered just in time to poke the ball out of Reyes' path when he would have been through on goal. Sevilla then pounced to punish Atletico for not making the most of when they had the ball earlier in the half. Renato drilled a header into the corner of the Madrid goal after a superb corner from Perotti. Ironically it was looking as though the only way either team would score, would be from a set piece. It was that goal that sparked the game into life and Atletico got back into the game with a little bit of luck immediately after the break. Ivica Dragutinovic nodded into his own net after a calamity of errors. Andres Palop rushed out to smother but the ball from the feet of Forlan but miscalculated and it bounced off of the defender and over the line. The own goal seemed to turn a light bulb on over Aletico heads. Forlan combined well with Simao in the 51st minute before smashing the ball off of Konko and winning a corner. The danger was subsequently lifted but the crowd started to roar like a toddler interrupted from sleep. Forlan shot just wide of Palop's far post two minutes later as it looked as though he could play for one million minutes and not be able to score a goal. Dragutinovic's misery was then confirmed when he was booked just shy of the hour mark for a push on Ibrahima Balde that came right out of the non-league book of defending. Madrid were beginning to prowl and looked as if they might form some sort of authority over the game. Good little passes and runs were being met with cynical fouls that prompted the introduction of Adriano by Sevilla to solidify proceedings. Reyes was axed down by Renato after the 60th minute, he was lucky not to go into the book and did well to evade the end of many pointing Atletico fingers. Sevilla tried to stretch the play and did well to break up the fluency that Madrid had built. Forlan still looked dangerous on the counter attack but Fernando Navarro and Romaric were drifting wide and having lots of space. Antonio Lopez gave away a bad free kick before the 70 mark but the away team left their set piece play back in Seville. The word scrappy must have been on the lips of thousands watching as neither side could dominate the second half. However, Sevilla gifted Atletico with another slight advantage when Aldo Duscher was sent off for a second yellow card after lunging with both feet showing at Simao. Atletico continued their frustrating build up play despite having a numerical advantage on the pitch. Sevilla sat back and took the pressure as the last ten minutes approached. Arouna Kone was looking quick and pacey on the counter but it was hard to see how a goal would come for the away side if they wanted to snatch all three points. It was in fact the away side who nearly stole a goal on one of those counter attacks. Jesus Navas burst into life on 80 minutes when he made a fantastic run, which was only ended by a perfectly timed tackle from Luis Perea. The home team continued to hustle and bustle with a lot of energy but the side just could not find a way through the determined Sevilla defence as it became obvious why Madrid were lurking near the bottom of the La Liga table. Antonio Lopez then stole all of the headlines when he won the match for his team with the last touch of the game. He guided his header superbly into the net after Simao had done well out on the wing to win a free kick.

Hartlepool 2 Oldham Ath 1, Victoria Park, League One, 02/Jan/09

Tenerife 1 Atlético de Madrid 1, Heliodoro Rodríguez, La Liga, 20/Dec/09

Atlético de Madrid took one point away from the Heliodoro Rodríguez in a game that became an uphill battle early on for Quique Sánchez Flores’ lads, who gave up a goal just three minutes in. A goal from Jurado and great saves from Asenjo keep the ‘rojiblanco’ squad alive as they say farewell to a forgettable year.The final week of the year pitted Tenerife against Atlético de Madrid in an encounter which would allow the winner some breathing room during the Christmas break. The threat of relegation spots has kept the visitors on tenterhooks until the final days of 2009. With both Sergio Agüero and José Antonio Reyes out, the side from Madrid was facing a direct rival in the table.In spite of the necessity and the desire to definitively take off by Quique Sánchez Flores’ men, things started very poorly for Atlético de Madrid, as they conceded a goal in the 3rd minute when Nino tapped in from inside the six-yard box after a set piece.After recovering from this early blow, Atlético tried over and over again from the ten minute mark, as they got attacks led by Maxi, Jurado and Forlán. The Uruguayan sent a distant shot just wide of the right post, and nobody was there to finish off the play. A great chance was thus wasted for the ‘rojiblanco’ squad, which stayed strong after the poor initial outlook.Their intentions took effect. In minute 22, the Tenerife defense lost a ball that ended up at Forlán’s feet, and the striker connected perfectly with Jurado, who opened the scoring for the ‘rojiblancos’. It was the fourth goal of the season for the midfielder, laying claim as a good substitution for the injured Agüero.Nino again gave warning at the half-hour mark, with a good play after a through ball from Mikel Alonso, but luckily the final shot went wide. Tenerife continued to insist, this time after an elaborate play which ended with former Sevilla player Alfaro’s off-target header.And then came a play which could have changed the game when Pérez Burrull deemed that Álvaro Domínguez had touched the ball with an arm inside the area. Nino took the ensuing spot kick, but Asenjo stretched out to save Atlético de Madrid.After the re-start, Atlético came out with the strength demanded by the ‘rojiblanco’ manager. A quick counter-attack several minutes in after Simão had stolen the ball could have been lethal, but Jurado lost the ball when the Portuguese winger was making a run all alone directly at the Tenerife goal.Shortly after that, Perea was fast to make a saving slide-tackle on a shot from point blank range after a nice play from the home side. The role of the Atleti netminder was also worth highlighting, as he was secure and made several brilliant saves which changed the course of the game. Another chance got away from Atlético with Forlán as the focus of attention, but the Tenerife defense shut him down in time. And then Sergio Asenjo was once again in fine form after a direct kick. Neither team was content to settle for the draw, as both created constant chances and the match became a back-and-forth battle.The ‘roijblanco’ squad almost came away with the three points in stoppage time when Sinama-Pongolle controlled a cross with his chest, and then sent in a low pass for Forlán that he was unable to get to by centimeters. But the danger then changed sides on a similar play, with another great stop from Asenjo off an overhead bicycle kick which saved a point for the visitors.
Atlético de Madrid: Asenjo; Ujfalusi, Juanito, Perea (Pablo, 86’), Domínguez; Assunçao, Cléber, Maxi Rodríguez (Raúl García, 71’), Simão; Jurado (Sinama-Pongolle, 80’) and Forlán.
Ref: Pérez Burrull.

Atletico Madrid 1 Villarreal 2, Vicente Calderon, La Liga, 13/Dec/09

Atletico Madrid were brought back down to earth with a bump as they succumbed to a fightback from Villarreal at the Vicente Calderon. Simao found his opener cancelled out by David Fuster before Joseba Llorente buried the winner in the very last minute.That Atleti had that first goal in the first place was largely down tot he form of Sergio Asenjo, who was the key player on the pitch during the first half hour.Atletico's trademark suicidal defending saw the likes of Giuseppe Rossi gifted several opportunities due to the inept display from Juanito. Ruben Cani, too, came close, but was denied by the narrowest of margins.But after 36 minutes the hosts took the lead. It was a defence-splitting through ball of the best kind from Jose Antonio Reyes that caught the Yellow Submarine wanting as Simao cut in from the left and slipped it past Diego Lopez with his second touch.Following the break, though, Villarreal's pressure told. Joan Capdevila's deep cross from the left foxed Juanito; with Sergio Asenjo hesitating over whether or not to come out, David Fuster was left with an easy finish.Then followed a balanced period of play, but one in which a bit of quality told for the Yellow Submarine. Or, to put it another way, awful defending from Perea and Juanito allowed substitute Joseba Llorente in for an opportunistic finish right at the death as the long-suffering Atleti crowd saw the recent renaissance end in disaster.The Rojiblancos are, amazingly, just one point away from the relegation zone. Villarreal jump to 10th on 18 points.