They conquer the Metropolitan fort 28 games later: "It's a historic streak and it annoys you to lose, especially today's game, but it's football"
It wasn’t the tale of Sleeping Beauty, where Princess Aurora’s kingdom slumbered for a century, but Atlético de Madrid had embarked on an impressive streak of their own. The last time they tasted defeat at the Metropolitano was on January 8, 2023, courtesy of Xavi’s Barcelona, who secured a 0-1 victory. This result sparked a minor disagreement between the two managers.
Since then, the iconic red and white stadium had become a formidable fortress in Europe. They went on an unbeaten run of 28 games, facing formidable opponents like Real Madrid three times, as well as Real Sociedad and Athletic Club, among others. But yesterday, all that resistance came to an end, as Athletic Club emerged victorious with a 0-1 win, thanks to a goal from Berenguer. Reinildo’s unfortunate momentary lapse during the penalty action proved to be a severe punishment for one team and a great reward for the other. “They played an exceptional game, but our mistake came at a cost. Mistakes in football are unforgiving,” conceded Diego Simeone during the post-match press conference of the first leg of the semi-final against Athletic Club.
During this remarkable run, Atlético de Madrid accomplished 26 victories (21 in the league, 3 in the Champions League, and 2 in the Cup), with only 2 draws. They demolished European opponents such as Feyenoord, Celtic, and Lazio, who all left the Metropolitano with 3-2, 6-0, and 2-0 losses, respectively. The team’s dominance was evident both domestically and abroad.
“An Elimination Round Wide Open”
Surprisingly, it was in the Copa del Rey, a tournament in which Atlético de Madrid hadn’t performed exceptionally well in recent years, except for Simeone’s debut season when they clinched the title against none other than Real Madrid at the Bernabéu, that their remarkable streak came to an end. And it was Athletic Club, the team that defeated them earlier this year at San Mamés (2-0), who inflicted this defeat. However, it’s worth noting that Athletic Club had failed to defeat the rojiblancos in the Copa del Rey for 46 long years. Despite this victory, Athletic’s coach, Ernesto Valverde, believes “the tie is still wide open.”
Second Leg
Simeone acknowledged the difficulty of progressing further, stating, “It will be challenging since we need to score two goals there.” He praised his team’s performance, particularly in the second half, where numerous chances were created, but ultimately, the final scoreline mattered. “I always value the result because that’s what the fans care about,” he remarked after the match.
In a nail-biting finish reminiscent of their clash last Sunday at the Bernabéu, the red and whites almost equalized but luck was not on their side this time. “It’s a historic streak, and losing is disappointing, especially in this game, but it’s football. It happens; we can’t win every game forever,” expressed Koke, the captain of Atlético de Madrid, after the match. The Metropolitan had finally been conquered by Valverde’s army, thirteen months after their staggering streak began.