Those hoping to see Atléti pick up where they left off after thrashing Sevilla 6-1 last time out will have been left sorely disappointed by their sloppy start to the game. Girona dominated possession but ultimately failed to convert their early superiority into a threat on Jan Oblak’s goal, and an Antoine Griezmann snapshot after 20 minutes mercifully opened the floodgates for Diego Simeone’s side.
Having slipped into a rhythm, the first half’s best chances fell to Atlético’s Depay, who wastefully powered over the crossbar from close range not once, but twice, as back-up striker Morata watched on baffled from the bench. Mario Hermoso found time to get in on the act by spooning a free header off target, leaving the Rojiblancos to wonder how on earth they had failed to score before the interval.
They were almost made to pay in the second half as Girona began to stamp their authority on the clash, firstly through David López, who almost brought the house down with an audacious halfway-line effort that had Oblak scrambling back to his goal line. On-loan Rodrigo Riquelme then missed a golden opportunity to net against his parent club with a loose touch and tame finish at the back post, before Morata managed to succeed where Depay had failed with a poacher’s finish from a corner, poking in at point-blank range to spark wild celebrations on the touchline.
Girona boss Míchel was understandably distraught at the late hammerblow, with his side still searching for a first-ever win over Atlético, who are now unbeaten in their last nine La Liga matches. The Rojiblancos tighten their grip on third spot in the table as the hosts stay 12th, having surprisingly drawn a blank after notching 11 goals in their previous three matches.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Antoine Griezmann (Atlético Madrid)
