The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Atletico Madrid

  • Chukwueze scores as Barca survive Villarreal scare

    Super Eagles winger Samuel Chukwueze was on target for hosts Villarreal as FC Barcelona survived a scare in an eight-goal thriller in a Spanish La Liga clash on Tuesday.

    FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi came off the bench to help the La Liga leaders battle back from 4-2 down in stoppage time to snatch a remarkable 4-4 draw at struggling Villarreal.

    The Catalans thus avoided a first league loss since November.

    A last-gasp Luis Suarez strike after captain and top scorer Messi gave them hope with a deadly free kick in the 90th minute at Estadio de la Cerámica.

    The draw resulted in Barca’s lead over nearest challengers Atletico Madrid, who had earlier won 2-0 at home to lowly Girona, being trimmed to eight points.

    Read Also: Arsenal, Leicester table N17b for Chukwueze

    All these have however come ahead of Saturday’s top-of-the-table showdown at the Nou Camp.

    Even without Messi, Gerard Pique and Ivan Rakitic in their starting line-up, the visitors still strolled into the lead through a Philippe Coutinho goal in the 12th minute.

    Brazilian forward Malcom soon doubled the lead with a header.

    But Villarreal, who began the game hovering one point above the relegation zone, were to soon haul themselves back into contention.

    It began with a strike from dazling 19-year-old Chukwueze midway through the first half.

    Cameroon striker Karl Toko Ekambi took advantage of slack positioning from Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen to equalise soon after the interval.

    Vicente Iborra completed the home side’s remarkable revival just after the hour mark.

    Messi was called from the bench to rescue the champions, but instead Villarreal increased their lead with a strike from substitute Carlos Bacca.

    Alvaro Gonzalez was then dismissed for Villarreal for a second booking with four minutes remaining.

    It thus paved the way for Messi and Suarez to strike for Barca and produce a remarkable finish to an enthralling contest.

    NAN

  • Ronaldo fined $22,000 by UEFA for celebration gesture

    Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo has been fined $22,600 dollars by UEFA for appearing to make an obscene gesture while celebrating his side’s Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid.

    The Portugal international was guilty of “improper conduct,’’ the control, ethics and disciplinary body of the European football organisation ruled on Thursday.

    READ ALSO: Ronaldo adds £330,000 Rolls-Royce Ghost to his fleet

    Ronaldo had gestured to his crotch following the final whistle after his hat-trick earned Juventus a 3-0 win over Atletico on March 12, which sent the Italians into the Champions League quarter-finals 3-2 on aggregate.

    The gesture appeared to be a response to Atletico Coach Diego Simeone, who had celebrated in similar fashion during his team’s 2-0 win in the home leg.

    Simeone was subsequently also fined 20,000 euros by UEFA.

    NAN

  • Real Madrid beat Atletico to go second in La Liga

    Real Madrid leapfrogged 10-man Atletico Madrid into second place in La Liga thanks to a 3-1 victory at the Wanda Metropolitano on Saturday.

    Real took the lead on 15 minutes thanks to Casemiro’s opener but parity did not last long as Antoine Griezmann levelled things up 10 minutes later.

    Sergio Ramos then put the visitors back in front two minutes before the break after converting from the penalty spot. And substitute Gareth Bale rounded things off 16 minutes from time before Thomas Partey was dismissed for picking up two bookings.

    “It was a tough hard game in which they were better than us, more forceful, that is why they won,” Atletico coach Diego Simeone said.

    “They played a very good game and we congratulate them.”

    Real captain Ramos said: “La Liga is there to fight for, there are a lot of points to win and any team can make your life hard.

    “Winning the league motivates us, it’s a really balanced competition and we have to keep fighting for it and making life difficult for Barcelona.”

    Alvaro Morata, facing his former club, thought he had equalised in the second half but after he lobbed Thibaut Courtois, VAR ruled the former Chelsea striker offside.

    And once Bale finished off after good work from Luka Modric, it was game over.

    The VAR officials were busy throughout, checking both the Griezmann goal and Ramos penalty and Simeone added: “I do not usually talk about the VAR.

    “It will clearly improve for the good of everyone. I’ve not seen the replays. VAR is not why we lost today.

    “The penalty incident is important in a game, it’s true, but we are used to VAR now. We know you can celebrate a goal and then it does not count.”

    In a typically frantic opening, Atletico had a lot of the ball to begin with while the home fans whistled Courtois mercilessly, even launching toy rats in his direction in reaction to his decision to join Atleti’s bitter rivals last summer.

    But Courtois and Real were smiling early on thanks to Casemiro’s opener, an acrobatic finish from the Brazil midfielder after Atletico failed to clear their lines. Griezmann got the hosts back on track, though, after latching on to Angel Correa’s pass to slot past Courtois. After a delay to check via VAR if the goal should have stood, it was ruled that there was no foul by Correa on Vinicius Jr.

    Vinicius then stormed past Jose Gimenez just before the break and after another VAR intervention, a penalty was given that Ramos converted for his 11th of the season — the best scoring season of his career.

    Atleti were quick out the blocks in the second half and on 53 minutes, Morata had the ball in the net with a superbly taken finish over Courtois. VAR came to Real’s rescue, though, declaring Morata offside.

    Atletico pushed for a way back into the match for a second time and Morata went down in the box, but appeals for a penalty were turned down before Bale made the game safe and Partey saw red.

    Asked why Bale headed straight to the dressing room on full time when his teammates were still celebrating on the pitch, Solari praised the impact the impact made by a player still returning from his latest muscle injury.

    “[Bale] was very happy going to the dressing-room, and happy with his goal,” he said.

    “The game was alive, and then Gareth killed it. Every day he is feeling better.”

    Real Madrid moved up to second with the victory, five points behind leaders Barcelona ahead of their clash with Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

  • Morata posts throwback photograph in a full Atletico Madrid kit as a child

    Morata passed through the club’s academy before going on to represent fierce rivals Real Madrid in the first team.

    However the forward, who initially became Chelsea’s record signing in a £70.6million deal in the summer of 2017, has returned to Spain after Atletico agreed to a £9m loan deal.

    With the move finally secured, Morata put himself through his paces as he trained on his own at the club’s training base.

    Keen to build up his fitness and match sharpness, the Spaniard had a varied session as he practised his finishing and also tested his reaction skills with the ball in confined spaces.

    Fans, eager to get his name on the back of their shirts, also quickly discovered that the former Real Madrid and Juventus striker will wear the No 22 at the Wanda Metropolitano.

  • Isco leaves hospital after appendicitis surgery

    Real Madrid playmaker Isco has left hospital after successfully undergoing an operation to treat appendicitis, the European champions said on Wednesday.

    “Our player Isco has been discharged from hospital.

    “He will start his recovery process now under the supervision of the Real Madrid medical services,” said a statement from the club which did not state how long Isco was expected to be out for.

    Reports in the Spanish media, however, said the Spain international would be unable to play for around a month and was targeting a return in time for Real’s crunch match away to arch-rivals Barcelona on Oct. 28 in La Liga.

    Read Also: Live Update! Real Madrid Win Champions League

    Isco was taken to hospital on Tuesday after arriving at training complaining of stomach pains.

    He is set to miss a total of six games for Real, including Wednesday’s testing league trip to Sevilla and Saturday’s city derby against Atletico Madrid.

    He will also have to sit out Champions League games against CSKA Moscow and Viktoria Plzen, as well as Spain’s friendly against Wales and their UEFA Nations League game with England.

  • Madrid lose Super Cup to Atletico as Lopetegui era begins

    Atletico Madrid finally got their own back on Real Madrid in European competition by snatching a 4-2 win over their city rivals after extra time to lift the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday.

    Diego Costa gave Europa League holders Atletico a dream start against Champions League winners Real by firing them ahead after 49 seconds.

    He knocked down a long pass and smashed the ball into the net from a tight angle.

    Real, playing their first competitive game since all-time top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo left and Julen Lopetegui succeeded Zinedine Zidane as coach, soon pulled level.

    Karim Benzema nodded in a cross from Gareth Bale in the 27th minute.

    Real, who beat Atletico in the 2014 and 2016 Champions League finals and dumped them out of the competition in 2015 and 2017, were unrelenting.

    They poured more pain on their neighbours when Juanfran handled and Sergio Ramos tucked the penalty kick away.

    Diego Simeone’s side, however, are renowned for their fighting spirit and in spite of being outplayed for sections of the second half, got back into the game with 12 minutes left.

    A thumping close-range finish from Costa drew them level.

    Brazilian left back Marcelo had the chance to grab Real victory in stoppage-time but he slipped as he tried to meet a Bale cross.

    Extra-time was then needed to settle an enthralling contest between the fierce rivals.

    Atletico were on the back foot for the start of the extra period but they were still able to press their opponents high up the pitch.

    That led to Raphael Varane giving the ball away outside his area.

    Saul Niguez thumped home a stunning volley from Thomas Partey’s cross in the 98th minute to restore their lead.

    Fellow academy graduate Koke struck six minutes later, finishing off a smooth team move to secure Atletico’s third Super Cup title.(Reuters/NAN)

  • LaLiga leads the way as France top the world

    …11 LaLiga players were involved in Sunday’s World Cup final in Moscow, more than from any other league

     

    LaLiga’s huge influence on this summer’s World Cup continued right through to Sunday’s final, with MVP Antoine Griezmann of Atletico Madrid scoring one and setting up two as France topped Croatia 4-2. Meanwhile, Real Madrid midfielder and Croatia captain Luka Modric was voted player of the tournament despite his country falling just short at the final hurdle.

    11 LaLiga players were involved in the decider at Moscow’s Luzhniki stadium, more than any other league. Griezmann clinched his third MVP award of the tournament with an impressive performance. It was his free-kick that was knocked into the net for the game’s opening goal, his penalty which put France 2-1 up and his assist which led to France’s third.

    Atletico defender Lucas Hernandez laid on France’s fourth and final goal, with his fellow defenders Samuel Umtiti of Barcelona and Raphael Varane of Real Madrid also impressing, while Sevilla’s Steven N’Zonzi was a second half substitute as Les Bleus saw out their victory.

    Modric shone albeit in defeat and was awarded the 2018 ‘Golden Ball’ for his contribution over the month in Russia. This included a penalty in the opening game victory over Nigeria, a tremendous 20-yard strike in the unforgettable 3-0 victory over Argentina and shoot-out spot-kicks converted against Denmark and Russia during the knock-out stages.

    Croatia also had Barça’s Ivan Rakitic in midfield in Sunday’s final along with Atletico’s Sime Vrsaljko at right-back, while Mateo Kovacic was on the bench. New Atletico signing Thomas Lemar and Barça’s Ousmane Dembele were unused subs for France.

    It was a fitting end to a tournament at which LaLiga stars have been prominent throughout, right from the opening game when Villarreal’s Denis Cheryshev scored twice for Russia in the hosts’ 5-0 victory over Saudi Arabia. The following month of games then saw 24 different LaLiga players from ten different Spanish clubs score 40 goals in total. LaLiga stars were named MVP in 21 of the 64 games as 81 players from across LaLiga Santander and LaLiga 1l2l3 represented their countries.

    Among the standout stars was Barça’s Philippe Coutinho, who provided two goals and two assists as his team were knocked out at the quarter-final stage by Belgium, for whom Real Sociedad’s Adnan Januzaj got on the score sheet in the group stages.

    There were countless other memorable moments involving LaLiga stars, including Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos’s sensational last-gasp strike for Germany against Sweden, Atletico centre-forward Diego Costa’s three goals for Spain and Lionel Messi’s superb solo effort in their victory over Nigeria. Camp Nou teammates Luis Suarez and Yerry Mina hit the net twice and three times for Uruguay and Colombia respectively.

    Other LaLiga interventions during the group stages included Celta Vigo forward Iago Aspas and Malaga striker Youssef En-Nesyri both scoring as late substitutes in Spain and Morocco’s 2-2 draw. Japan midfielder Takashi Inui, who has just completed his move to Real Betis from Eibar, scored against both Senegal and Belgium while Saudi Arabia’s match winner in their final group game against Egypt was Villarreal’s Salem Al-Dawsari.

    This summer’s World Cup has truly showcased the breadth of LaLiga’s quality, talent and its true international reach, leaving fans worldwide to eagerly await the start of the 2018/19 Spanish season next month.

  • Super Eagles vs. Atletico Madrid: The Thrills & Frills @ Star Fan Park

    Star Lager Beer has reiterated commitment to bring unique and exciting experiences to passionate football fans in Nigeria and the Super Eagles. This was not anyway less when Super Eagles team B, trailed tackles visiting Atletico Madrid in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state capital.

    The 30,000 capacity stadium was filled to the brim to watch thrills and frills of the highly profile friendly watch which saw Coach Diego Simeone, Fernando Toress among the Spanish side that trailed tackles with the Coach Salisu Yusuf led Super Eagles.

    The spectacles on the field and the side attraction from Star Lager Beer via its Fan Park were uncommon. The Nigeria’s premium beer brand and the official beer partner of the Super Eagles, Star Lager Beer thrilled fans with an unforgettable football and music spectacle at the Star Fan Park.

    The fun and excitement before the match attracted thousands of excited Super Eagles fans in Uyo thronged the Godswill Akpabio Stadium to watch the National team, take on the newly-crowned Champions of the UEFA Europa League.

    Star at the Fan Park fused music and football with live performances and special appearance from DJ Neptune and DJ Big N who went head to head in a friendly match-up at the Uyo venue.

    As MC Laugh Up entertained the audience with his witty jokes and football banter, fans participated in exciting Star-themed games and a raffle draw, with the winners awarded instant prizes, including refrigerators, generator sets and flat screen television sets among several others.

    Speaking to the media, the Marketing Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Franco Maria Maggi declared,

    “We take pride in delivering highly engaging and memorable moments to our consumers nationwide, and we are determined to keep upgrading football viewing experiences for Nigerian fans. We have a few more exciting activities lined up for fans in the coming weeks through our ‘Nigeria United We Shine’ campaign, and we are truly delighted to be part of this national support for the Super Eagles and Nigerian football in general.”

    Adding to this, Portfolio Manager, National Premium, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Yinka Bakare said,

    “Star Lager Beer is a consumer-focused brand, and a listening brand. We know how passionate Nigerians are about good football and we are proud to be involved with this friendly match, being a major one for all Nigerians as our partners, the NFF and the Super Eagles prepare for Russia.”

    As official beer of the Nigerian national football team, Star Lager provided the ultimate Star experience with two luxury buses to convey the Super Eagles throughout their stay in the Akwa Ibom state capital. The iconic Nigerian brand and product of Nigerian Breweries Plc, which is a Heineken International Company, has enjoyed decades of success since its launch as the first indigenous Nigerian beer brand in 1949.

    Reiterating the essence of the multimillion naira partnership with the Nigerian Football Federation and the Super Eagles, Star Lager Beer promises to continue bringing unique and exciting experiences to passionate football fans in Nigeria.

  • Gallant Eagles bow 2-3 to Atletico Madrid

    Atletico Madrid on Tuesday  defeated Nigeria 3-2 in a friendly played at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.

    The coach Diego Simeon side came from behind to win the match despite Super Eagles B team took the lead through Kelechi Nwakali’s goal at the 32 minutes of the encounter.

    The newly-crowned Europa League champions quickly leveled through Angel Correa just two minutes after.

    Coach Salisu Yusuf’s men almost restored their lead before half time, but substitute Destiny Ashadi missed an open net after great work by Samad.

    Fernando Torres came off the bench to head Atletico Madrid in front in the second half, before Usman Mohammed equalized for the hosts with a brilliant solo effort.

    Borja Garces netted the winner for the LaLiga side with five minutes left.

  • Atletico Madrid storm Nigeria on Monday for Eagles

    Atletico Madrid Coach, Diego Simeone is expected to arrive Nigeria on Monday for the first time in his football career.
    The former Argentine player will land at the Abuja International Airport with a 23-man squad for Tuesday’s friendly match against the Super Eagles’ B team.
    Felipe Luiz, Torres Belen Juan Francisco, Angel Martin Correa, Victor Perez and Thomas Patey are some of the players expected for the game at the Akwa Ibom Stadium, Uyo.
    Highly rated goalkeeper Jan Oblak is also expected to be in the squad after his superlative performance in theIR 3-0 Europa League victory over French side Olympique Marseille last Wednesday.
    Atletico have enjoyed an impressive season, finishing second above local rivals Real Madrid and behind Barcelona in the Spanish LaLiga.