El Cholo is known for his cryptic messages, but when it comes to issues with the schedule, his complaints have been loud and public. And after watching Atlético’s performance against Las Palmas, it’s hard to argue that the Argentine wasn’t at least partly right. The team, for the first time in a week after the return of the Super Cup, was on fire. They scored two goals within the first 20 minutes and ended the game with a whopping five goals, which could have been more if Correa had been more accurate. [Narrative and Statistics, 5-0]
In anticipation of the upcoming match against Milan, or maybe to bolster their physical arguments, Simeone sent out a team of warriors to overpower Las Palmas. The high pressure they applied on the Canaries was intensified by the fact that the yellow team, this time in black, seemed to have arrived an hour late for the match. Perhaps the time difference got to them. The match against Las Palmas was inexplicable, especially considering the difficulties Atletico faced in the first leg at the island stadium.
Atletico underwent a revolution both in their tactics and lineup. They switched from their usual 5-3-2 formation to a 4-4-2, and had an unprecedented forward pairing of Correa and Llorente. This was the first time Llorente had played alongside Correa in Cholo’s lineup since their match against Liverpool in the 2020 Champions League, where Atletico emerged victorious. The Madrid-born player also scored a brace, although this time it came in the last 20 minutes of the game.
On this occasion, Correa and the yellow defense aided Llorente in finding the back of Álvaro Valles’ net. In the first goal, Llorente took advantage of a rebound off Perrone’s body and calmly slotted the ball to the left of the Canarian goalkeeper. For his second goal, Correa passed the ball to Llorente after a deflection from Coco, and the Spaniard made no mistake from the penalty spot to secure his brace.
Las Palmas, a team known for their possession-based style of play, struggled to cope with Atletico’s relentless pressure, and every attempt of theirs to build from the back ended in frustration. They managed to break through the red and white defense twice in the first half, with Javi Muñoz scoring a stunning long-range goal and Munir’s shot rattling off the crossbar. Before that, Lino had also tested the Canarian defense with a skillful move, but Valles denied him with an exceptional save.
The second half started much like the first, with the only difference being that this time Correa managed to convert one of his chances. The Argentine forward, who had previously missed a clear opportunity, capitalized on a corner kick. Although the initial ball was cleared by the defense, Koke fought for the aerial duel and Correa was left unmarked in the penalty area, making it easy for him to find the back of the net.
In the 66th minute, Figueroa Vázquez made a questionable decision to not review a clear penalty foul by Marvin on Lino. Marvin had tripped Lino without touching the ball, and Correa was awarded a penalty. It was a day of doubles for Correa, and he rightfully deserved this moment of joy. He could have completed a hat-trick if he had capitalized on a steal in the center of the field with Vallés 30 meters away from his goal. He also had another chance on the counter, but his shot missed the target.
In the 80th minute, Kirian was about to take a dangerous free kick on Atletico’s territory, but he slipped and ended up conceding a throw-in instead. The sight of Kirian falling with his face up, resembling a turtle trying to turn over, was a fitting metaphor for the entire match at the Metropolitano Stadium.
Las Palmas never showed up in Madrid, and they suffered their biggest defeat of the season. To top it off, Memphis scored a cheeky handball goal in the penultimate minute of the game. They should have set their alarm an hour earlier. You know, because of the time difference.