The third round of the King's Cup brought a match with Atletico Madrid visiting Marbella. This season, Atletico Madrid has performed exceptionally well in the league, achieving 12 wins, 5 draws, and 1 loss in 18 league matches. With one less game played, they are only two points behind Real Madrid, ranking second and pushing Barcelona to the back. Since November, Atletico Madrid has entered a crazy winning streak mode, with 12 consecutive victories in various events before this, surging on three fronts, which is incredible. This time, on the King's Cup stage, Atletico Madrid faced the Xijiajia team Marbella. As a result, Atletico Madrid narrowly advanced!
In this game, Atletico Madrid lined up in a 442 formation. Griezmann and Alvarez partnered as the double forwards. Gallagher, Barrios, De Paul, and Simeone formed the four midfielders. Havi Garlan, Lenglet, Lenoirman, and Molina started as the four defenders. Musso served as the starting goalkeeper.
Atletico Madrid broke through Marbella's goal in the 16th minute. Little Simeone's powerful shot from the right side of the penalty area was blocked by the goalkeeper, and Griezmann fell to the ground for a shot, scoring a close-range rebound. Taking the lead early allowed Atletico Madrid to play more calmly. Four minutes later, Griezmann had another chance, but his long-range shot was too straight, and the goalkeeper easily grabbed the ball.
In the 28th minute, Griezmann broke into the right side of the penalty area. Instead of choosing a small-angle shot, he crossed the ball, but Alvaro, who was covering at the door, failed to complete the shot due to interference from the defender, and the ball was cleared away. Subsequently, Gallagher broke into the left side of the penalty area and took a shot, aiming for the near corner, but it went wide. At halftime, Atletico Madrid led Marbella 1-0.
In the second half, Atletico Madrid made the first substitution, with Koke coming off the bench to replace Barrios. De Paul scored a low shot inside the penalty area, but the goal was disallowed because he handled the ball first. In the 53rd minute, Garlan took a furious shot from the top of the penalty arc, but it flew over the bar. Five minutes later, Griezmann's close-range rebound was saved by the goalkeeper.
In the 62nd minute, Gallagher's long-range shot hit the post and bounced out, what a pity. In the 84th minute, the 19-year-old Chinese player Du Yuezheng came off the bench. Until the end of the game, Marbella could not score. Du Yuezheng also failed to help the team. In the end, Atletico Madrid eliminated Marbella 1-0, achieving 13 consecutive victories in all events, and Simeone is really amazing!