Atletico Madrid 3-3 Getafe
Atletico Madrid looked as if they were set for a satisfying victory on an historic night for Los Colchoneros, but a relentless Getafe would not leave without a point from the northern reaches of Madrid.
The game opened as scripted, with Rodrigo Riquelme hitting the bar with a curling effort, before Memphis Depay brought a brilliant stop from David Soria. Stomachs sunk at the Metropolitano when Stefan Savic got a second booking with just under 10 minutes to go in the first half, much to the chargrin of Diego Simeone. Memphis would exit for Cesar Azpilicueta, but Antoine Griezmann was in the number nine position to convert Riquelme’s excellent cross just before the break.
Getafe came out with the bit between their teeth though, and when Jan Oblak parried a Mason Greenwood shot into the air, Borja Mayoral looped an excellent header into the far corner. Just as it looked like Luis Milla and Greenwood would turn the screw, Marcos Llorente found a deflected cross, and Alvaro Morata came off the bench to nod down and into the roof of the net. A mindless hand to Mario Hermoso’s face from Damian Suarez gave Griezmann the chance to equal Luis Aragones’ goalscoring record, and he made no mistake, smashing his 173rd Atletico Madrid goal.
It looked over then, but Getafe redoubled their efforts. Only last-minue interventions from Hermoso, Axel Witsel and Oblak prevented Juanmi Latasa and Greenwood from cutting the gap over the next 15 minutes, the latter in irrepressible form while running at defenders. None of the Atletico rearguard could stop Oscar Rodriguez sitting down Koke Resurreccion, and finishing with just three minutes to go.
Spurred on by nine minutes of added time, Los Azulones continued on, and Riquelme’s hand prevented a Suarez cross to give them the chance to level. Mayoral found the corner, putting away his 12th goal of the La Liga campaign. With five minutes remaining, Getafe and Greenwood would come close twice more, but had to ‘settle’ for the point.
It extends Getafe’s run to just one defeat in 12 games, moving them within four points of sixth place. Los Rojiblancos started a winning run at the Metropolitano in February, having been held by Quique Sanchez Flores’ Getafe on the previous occasion. After 20 straight wins, it was Jose Bordalas who stopped them continuing it.
