August 15, (THEWILL) – Atletico Madrid started their La Liga campaign on a high note, defeating Granada 3-1 at the Metropolitan on Monday evening.
Despite some nervy moments, Diego Simeone’s men did enough to claim all three points. The home side came flying out of the blocks in the first half, carving through the Granada defence early on. However, Atletico struggled to capitalise on their dominance, with Alvaro Morata guilty of missing several gilt-edged chances. The Spanish striker did eventually break the deadlock on the stroke of halftime, dispatching a through ball from Jesus Vallejo.
Granada showed spirit though, and equalised after the break through debutant, Samu Omorodion. The young Nigerian punished some sloppy play from Atletico to score on his La Liga debut. However, the parity did not last long, as substitute Memphis Depay rifled in a long-range thunderbolt to restore Atletico’s advantage.
As the game wore on, Granada poured forward in search of another equaliser. But Atletico’s defense held firm, snuffing out the away side’s forays forward. The hosts then sealed the win deep into injury time, with Marcos Llorente applying the finishing touch.
While not a completely convincing performance, Atletico will be satisfied to pick up three points against a plucky Granada side. Simeone will demand improvement ahead of next week’s trip to Real Betis. Granada can take heart from a spirited showing, despite defeat.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
