Highlights of Real Betis Game....

Atlético de Madrid 2 Real Betis 0, Vincente Calderon, La Liga, 14/Dec/08

Atlético de Madrid moved above their arch rivals Real Madrid in la Primera table thanks to a victory over Real Betis on Sunday evening that was only settled with a late effort from Sergio Agüero. Los Colchoneros knew that they had been handed a golden chance to move into fifth place ahead of their cross city foe and they took it with both hands as they picked up all three points in Vicente Caldéron.Maxi put the home side ahead in the first half and after chances had not been taken at either end, Agüero secured the points for the hosts with a second in the last few minutes of the match.Real Madrid's defeat in el Clásico gave Atleti the opportunity to edge above them and that was not lost on the players or the home crowd who celebrated long and hard at their neighbours expense at the final whistle.By the time Atlético put the result beyond doubt, they should have had the game wrapped up spurning several great openings before the break that would have made things a lot more comfortable for them.Los Colchoneros opened very brightly and as early as the third minute that early stint in and around Betis' area saw Agüero set up Diego Forlán saw Casto Espinosa deny the Uruguayan.The visitors showed that they should not be discounted with the lively Sergio Garía going close at the other end, but Atlético were in fine fettle despite temperatures in the Spanish capital almost reaching freezing.On a day when many parts of the Iberian peninsula were snowed in, Betis had to endure an avalanche of red and white shirts that finally brough a goal in the 20th minute of the game.Maxi latched on to Maniche's long ball and controlled it on his chest before steering a half-volley inside the near post before wheeling away to celebrate the stylish effort.Instead of lifting Betis though, the goal inspired Atleti and they went close again through Agüero on two occasions, Forlán again, Maxi and then Maniche, but none of them could convert. That inability to convert the opportunities allowed Real Betis to come back into the game and they could well have drawn level in the second period in a spell of pressure around the hosts' goal.There was a warning sign just before the break when Capi should have scored and shortly after the restart when Emana's through ball caused enough problems for Assunção to almost score an own goal and then Juanma went close with a drive soon after.Atlético were not out of things and Forlán and Maniche kept Betis on their toes while Agüero shot across the keeper and past the far post moments after Sergio García should have converted in a one-on-one only to be denied by Leo Franco.With nine minutes remaining the visitors looked like their presure would finally pay off and the home fans sensed something too as they whistled every touch from one of the opposition.Any worries though were soon forgotten when Atlético made sure of victory with a breakaway goal that saw Agüero run on to Forlán's pass before he steered the ball past Casto at the near post.

Peterborough 2 Oldham Ath 2, London Road,League One, 13/Dec/08

Lee Hughes scored twice to rescue Oldham in a match with two penalties and a fair helping of drama. Posh led after just 10 minutes when Aaron Mclean's cross looped into the net off defender Stefan Stam. Mclean had a penalty saved by Greg Fleming before he scored on the rebound from a second Craig Mackail spot kick. Hughes scored his first with a shot on the turn before the break and levelled the game when he took advantage of a fumble by Posh keeper Joe Lewis.
Oldham: Fleming, Eardley, Stam, Hazell, Lomax, Taylor, Whitaker, Allott, Jones (Liddell 30), Hughes, Byfield. Subs Not Used: O'Grady, Maher, Lee, Alessandra.
Att: 6,219
Ref: Iain Williamson (Berkshire).

Marseille 0 Atletico Madrid 0, Stade Velodrome, Champions League, 09/Dec/08

Marseille and Atlético Madrid competed in an uninspired goalless draw in France that featured few chances to either side, despite the passionate atmosphere in the Stade Vélodrome...Marseille qualified for the UEFA Cup despite not being able to break down a resilient Atlético Madrid side, who finished second in Group D behind Liverpool.The French team had more of the ball throughout and Atlético never looked particularly likely to score, but nevertheless it was a rather lifeless encounter that featured very few clear chances.The Atlético starting eleven was nearly completely different from the one that beat Sporting Gijón at the weekend, but in the first-half neither Gregory Coupet nor Steve Mandanda had to make a save.Hatem Ben Arfa looked lively after the break and Coupet did have to dirty his shorts on a few occasions, but with the score from Holland filtering through the game petered out.Few ChancesWith the Spanish side knowing that qualification was already assured it was no surprise to see them line-up with a weakened side from the off. Marseille were missing key striker, Mamadou Niang, with injury, but they started the better side, taking control of the ball and dominating possession.The first chance of the match fell to the away side though, and it was one that was gifted to them by some poor Marseille defending. Laurent Bonnart held the ball for too long and was robbed by Sergio Agüero, only for the striker to drag his shot across goal from a good position when one-on-one with the goalkeeper. The home side quickly recovered from that lapse though and up the other end Ronald Zubar very nearly nodded in a corner at the front post but his header went just wide.It looked as though both sides would be going for the win, especially with Marseille not knowing what would happen in Holland, but the rest of the half was competed mainly in the midfield. Taye Taiwo looked likely down the left flank and he hit a couple of speculative efforts but Coupet was not called into action at all.Similarly, Mandanda did not have a save to make and the only bright spark in the match was Ben Arfa, who could have gone down under a challenge from Luis Perea near the end of the half but instead stayed on his feet, only for the ball to elude him. With the whistle for half-time came the news that PSV were drawing, meaning that Marseille did not have to be victorious to assure a UEFA Cup spot.French ForayEven though Marseille didn't have to win though it was thought they would come out for the second-half with more drive and determination, but in fact it was the away side who threatened first. Luis García, who had been anonymous for the opening 45 minutes, was played through over the top and even though he was in acres of space he seemed to slow down, allowing the defence to get back and the chance to disappear.It was to be the only real chance Atlético created too, with Marseille yet again dominating possession and controlling much of the tempo. Their main threat was from corners, which they had plenty of, and Vitorino Hilton very nearly opened the scoring when he found the ball at his feet just six yards out, however his shot was well blocked.Ben Arfa was looking the main threat on the field for the French side and he should have scored when the ball fell to him just six yards out, but he shot straight at Coupet at the second attempt. The French international was driving forward whenever he had the chance but none of his team-mates seemed to be interested, illustrated by the empty box when he crossed on a few occasions.Indeed, neither team looked as though they wanted to win the game, and with the score from Holland coming through as 3-1 to Liverpool it was a nothing game. Still, Marseille could have won it at the death though as Mathieu Valbuena put in a great ball that Lorik Cana just missed, and Charles Kabore blazed over the bar with the goal gaping. It was not to be though and in the finished with both sides pleased with a draw that kept their European progress alive.

Brighton 1 Oldham Ath 1, First Division, 06/Dec/08

Ten-man Brighton came from behind to end a four-match losing streak by holding Oldham to a draw. The Latics took an early lead when veteran Andy Liddell scored from a penalty conceded by Adam Virgo for a clumsy challenge on Chris Taylor. Glenn Murray was put through by Steve Thomson and out-paced Sean Gregan to level matters from 10 yards. Virgo was then shown a second yellow, but Brighton held on for a draw thanks to several saves from Michael Kuipers.
Oldham: Crossley, Lomax, Hazell, Gregan (Stam 87), Jones, Liddell (Maher 64), Allott (Alessandra 86), Whitaker, Taylor, O'Grady, Hughes. Subs Not Used: Fleming, Eardley.
Booked: Hughes.
Att: 4,803
Ref: David Foster (Tyne & Wear).

Sporting Gijon 2 Atletico Madrid 5,El Molinon, La Liga, 5/Dec/08

A scintillating encounter at El Molinon saw Atletico Madrid take all three points as they beat the home side 5-2...Atletico Madrid put five past a brave Sporting Gijon at El Molinon to claim three vital points. Sporting Gijon decided to pack the midfield, leaving Mate Bilic as the lone striker up front. Javier Aguirre, meanwhile, fielded Maniche just behind Sergio Agüero and Diego Forlan to create an impressive attacking trident. First Half The fans at El Molinon had barely found their seats when the home side sent them jumping in excitement as they took an early lead. A corner from Pedro found Bilic inexplicably unmarked yards out from goal, and the striker duly headed the ball in. It was typically shambolic defending from Atleti, but it would not take long for them to level matters. Almost immediately after the kick-off, Atletico launched an attack which resulted in a sublime goal from Agüero. The Argentine chested the ball down in the area and sent an acrobatic volley flying into the corner of the net. The chances were coming thick and fast, as was to be expected in an encounter between two sides devoted to attack, and with such porous defences. Possession was being split fairly evenly, and Bilic was making a real nuisance of himself up front, coming close on a number of occasions. It was Atleti, however, who took the lead five minutes before the break, and the identity of the scorer came as no surprise. It was one of Agüero's easier goals, as he pounced on some poor goalkeeping by Cuéllar, who could only parry Forlán's shot from the edge of the box straight into the deadly Argentine's path. That was the last action of the first half, as both sides entered the sheds with the promise of plenty more goals ahead. Second Half Atletico continued the second half intent on dominating, and with almost an hour gone, Diego Forlan increased their advantage. It was slack defending by Iván Hernández, who was robbed by the Uruguayan on the left wing and watched on helplessly as Forlan slotted the ball under Cuéllar's legs. It seemed as though Atleti would now run away with the game, but on the hour David Barral scored a sensational goal having only been on the pitch for two minutes. A quick turn and shot was too good for Leo Franco, and the home side were back in it, much to the delight of their fans. Sporting continued to press, but on 72 minutes, their hopes were all but extinguished when Maxi Rodriguez scored Atleti's fourth. Agüero broke free to find himself through on goal, and the striker unselfishly laid it across to his compatriot, who slotted into an empty net. Sporting had no fight left in them and with 10 minutes to go, Forlan rubbed salt into their wounds when he was released, and made no mistake, finding himself one-on-one with Cuellar. His reward was to be taken off immediately, replaced by Ever Banega. That was the last action of a manic encounter, one which could easily have seen yet more goals. In the end, Atletico picked up a vital win, but it was another brave performance from Sporting, who are proving that they are more than capable of competing at this level.
Atletico Madrid: Leo Franco - Seitaridis, Heitinga, Ujfalusi, Pernía - Maxi Rodríguez, Assunçao, Maniche (Raul Garcia 68), Simao - Agüero (Sinama Pongolle 78), Forlán (Banega 83)

Atleti hit Four

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Atletico Madrid 4 Racing Santander 1, Vincente Calderon, La Liga, 30/Nov/08

In a thrilling and eventful clash at the Vicente Calderón, Atlético Madrid came back from a goal down to thump a careless Racing Santander side who had to play a whole hour of the match with just ten men. Atlético were stunned by an early Tchité penalty but they battled back gallantly and stylishly thanks to two first half goals which ensured they head into the break in the lead. A Diego Forlán double late in the game sealed a sensational win for the hosts, but the match, littered with dramatic events, was not as straightforward as the scoreline would suggest. First Half Both sides started off pumping in hopeful high and long balls into the box without really threatening the opposition goal. But on the sixth minute, Racing made the first dangerous penetration and they were rewarded. Jonathan Pereira chested down a long delivery inside the box and Mohamed Tchité streamed in from behind to collect the loose ball but he, in turn, was collected by John Heitinga’s clumsy trailing leg and the referee had little choice but to point to the spot. Tchité stepped up himself and coolly slotted it low into his bottom left corner and there was just enough power to slip past Leo Franco’s fingers. On ten minutes, Pereira was through on goal again, but he was slightly nudged off the ball by Mariano Pernía as he was about to shoot and that was enough to throw him off balance while Leo Franco also charged off his line to smother any lingering danger. Atlético had to wait until the 20th minute before they got a decent glimpse of Racing’s goal when Maxi ghosted in unchecked at the back post to meet Simão’s freekick delivery from the left flank but the Argentine missed his volley altogether. But a minute later, the hosts were levelled. Agüero clipped a deft chip into the box for Forlán, who cushioned it down for Simão and the Portuguese showed how a volley is executed as he rifled in an unstoppable shot past a hapless Toño straight into the top left corner. Just a minute over the half hour mark, Racing were reduced to ten men and rightly so. Navas charged in with a late, high and atrocious sliding tackle on Assunção and completely took out his knee and the referee did not hesitate to flash the red card. Atleti’s Brazilian defensive midfielder was extremely lucky not to have to depart the game with an ugly injury. From the ensuing freekick, Pernía floated his delivery into the box and Agüero looped a header towards the top corner only for Gonzalo Colsa to head it off the line. But on 33 minutes, Atleti went ahead and Agüero would not miss this time. Forlán threaded in a lovely through pass and El Kun, staying onside, took one touch to set himself up onto his right foot before clinically dispatching a low shot past Toño. Munitis tried to restore parity on 37 minutes when he checked past Pernía and thumped in a fierce drive on the edge of the box but Leo Franco was able to parry it away comfortably. With a gap in Racing’s backline, Los Colchoneros started to wield their magic with some silky passing football but while pretty to look at, they could not find an insurance goal before the break. Forlán had the best chance when Simão arrowed in a near-impossible through ball but the Uruguayan drilled his shot wide across goal, perhaps distracted by the offside flag and the whistle, although replays showed he was perfectly in line. Second Half Racing coach Juan Ramón López Muñiz surprisingly and bravely opted not to reshuffle his pack and kept a flat back-three and that allowed Atlético to pick up where they left off. But it was the visitors who had the first real chance of the restart just two minutes in. Tomas Ujfalusi’s poor clearance dropped to Pereira but the youngster completely snatched his effort and sent it high and wide from 20 yards out. Right on the 50th minute, referee Medina Cantalejo awarded Atlético a penalty when Maxi was bundled over by Munitis inside the box. But much to the Vicente Calderón crowd’s horror, the decision was confidently over-ruled by the linesman upon further consultation. Neither side could create anything meaningful but it was Racing who were the more adventurous and industrious as they saw more of the ball and of the opposing goal despite being a man down. Still, they had to wait until the 67th minute before they had a decent attempt. Colsa pummelled in a ferocious freekick from 30 yards out but it flew just inches over the bar, although Leo Franco would have had it covered. Racing continued to pile on the pressure as Javier Aguirre’s side defended nervously in numbers, playing on the counter attack. But that worked beautifully in their favour as Forlán made it 3-1 on 77 minutes to bury the game. Assunção robbed possession off a careless Lacen and the loose ball bobbled to Forlán. The Uruguayan hitman took it first time and hammered in a sizzling shot into the top corner. Three minutes later, Forlán nabbed his second of the night when he rose high to meet Gourkas Seitaridis’ cross from the right and his deft glancing header left Toño rooted to the ground. Atleti immediately grew in confidence and over the final ten minutes of the contest, they peppered Racing’s goal incessantly. First, Maniche had a chance to make it five when connected with Forlán’s cross from the left but his volley off-balance was kept out brilliantly by Toño at point-blank. And Forlán soon went in search for his hat-trick when he rifled in a half volley from the edge of the box but it was targeted straight at Toño. Substitute Raúl García then drilled in a low shot from 20 yards out but it sailed inches wide of the right post. A minute into injury time, Agüero had a chance to put the icing on the cake when he almost scored the goal of the match. He muscled Marcano off the ball, charged down towards goal and waited for Toño to step off his line before clipping an audacious chip over the goalkeeper, only to see the ball bounce agonizingly wide at the far post. Forlán, charging in towards goal, could easily have tucked it into the empty net but he unselfishly wanted his strike partner to get on the scoresheet again with a sumptuous strike, but it wasn’t to be. It proved academic in the end as Atlético strolled to another convincing victory to ensure they stay within touching distance of the leading pack.
Atlético Madrid (4-4-2): Leo Franco – Seitaridis, Heitinga, Ujfalusi, Pernía – Maxi (Raúl García 85’), Assunção, Maniche (Banega 85’), Simão (Luis García 85’) – Forlán, Agüero
Unused subs: Sinama-Pongolle, Miguel, Pablo, Coupet