Atlético put together a hairy-chested, stomp-your-foot-on-the-ground-and-punch-a-Madridista-in-the-face comeback performance in Bilbao on Saturday to earn their fifth straight league win. Stunned by an unexpected Athletic goal in the sixth minute — the first goal they had conceded in five La Liga matches — Diego Simeone’s hombres recovered quickly and went on to conquer the new San Mamés for the second time this season.
Coming off of their disappointing draw at home against Sevilla, which saw them miss out on a precious chance to take over the top spot of La Liga, Atlético must shift gears when they host Athletic Bilbao at the Vicente Calderón on Thursday. The first leg of their Copa del Rey quarter-finals matchup gets underway at 21:00 CET.
Atlético soundly defeated Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, shutting out their Basque foes 2-0 for their sixth straight win at the Vicente Calderón. Defended by 52,000 strong for this ‘Fan Club Day’ encounter, ‘Cholo Castle’ remains unconquered in the 2013/14 campaign.
Ouch. Athletic Bilbao socked Atlético in the gut on Sunday with a spirited second half effort and, just like that, los Rojiblancos’ seven game unbeaten streak was snapped. The 3-0 drubbing left Atleti fans feeling visceral pain for the first time in a while, the agony having increased with each blow dealt by los Leones
Diego Simeone has revealed some of the tactics he plans to take into Wednesday’s Europa League decider, while also discussing where he believes Athletic Bilbao will be dangerous. Speaking to UEFA.com, ‘El Cholo’ acknowledged that, despite facing Spanish opposition, the game will be different to a La Liga match. “We’ll need to be compact and
Two of Atlético’s heroes of the semi-final, Adrián and Thibaut Courtois, acknowledge that defeating Athletic Bilbao in next month’s Europa League final will be a tough ask. Speaking to UEFA.com after the second leg of the tie against Valencia, Adrián said, “Athletic have so many qualities and play very well. They are formidable opponents. They are
Atlético defender Tomas Ujfalusi missed team training sessions yesterday and today, and is a doubt for Saturday’s clash with Athletic Bilbao. The Czech Republican has been receiving treatment for tendinitis in his Aquilles tendon and has been working apart from the group, hoping to recover in time to face the Basques.