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.