In the absence of Antoine Griezmann and Joao Felix, Angel Correa played out of position as a pure striker and did a fine job.
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With a 2-0 home win over Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, defending champions Atletico Madrid got back on track after four straight league losses, courtesy to a brace from Argentinian winger Angel Correa. Atletico has moved up to fourth place in the standings, with 32 points from 19 games. Rayo are currently in fifth place with 30 points. Real Madrid leads LaLiga with 46 points after 20 games after losing to Getafe yesterday.
In the absence of Antoine Griezmann and Joao Felix, who both missed Atletico’s first game of 2022 owing to positive COVID-19 tests, Correa, playing out of position as a pure striker, guided Atletico to a victory that they dominated from start to finish. After a fantastic play and strike by Yannick Carrasco in the 28th minute, he banged in a rebound from within the box, then volleyed in a low cross from Renan Lodi in the 53rd minute.
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“After four consecutive losses, we needed this win,” man-of-the-match Correa told reporters. “It’s a great way to start the year because we won playing well, dominating; we are really happy with the attitude and the result.”
The victory came as a comfort to Atletico manager Diego Simeone, who had never lost more than two league matches in a row since taking over in 2011. Simeone had tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the week, but after his second test came back negative early on Sunday, he was cleared to return to the bench.
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Due to the absence of Griezmann, Felix, and captain Koke due to the pandemic, as well as Spanish international flanker Marcos Llorente due to injury, the Argentinian coach decided to switch to a conventional 4-4-2 formation. The switch was crucial, as Kieran Trippier and Renan Lodi dominated on the touchline, winning every phase of the game.
The first goal was set up by a combination of the English right back and midfielder Rodrigo de Paul, who passed to Carrasco, who approached the area and shot towards goal. Correa was the first to reach the deflected ball and score the game’s first goal.
Lodi, a Brazilian international, ran up front in the second half and delivered a superb cross to Correa in the box who camly tucked the ball in the back of the net.
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