Atletico Madrid looked like a team ready to coast through the final games of the season. With injuries piling up and the Copa del Rey and Champions League already out of reach, La Liga title hopes long gone, and the World Cup on everyone’s mind, few expected the Rojiblancos to fight for anything meaningful. Yet, they proved doubters wrong by grinding out a hard-fought win at a notoriously tough venue.
Griezmann in action against Osasuna.
It was at El Sadar that Diego Simeone’s men stopped their slide, bouncing back from a defeat to Celta Vigo at the Metropolitano. The objective now is clear: secure third place and overtake Villarreal, who they face on the final matchday. Sporting pride aside, the financial reward is substantial—finishing third instead of fourth means an extra €7 million from La Liga. That’s more than enough motivation to give the season a final, spirited push.
Injury crisis at Atletico: Mendoza becomes the latest name on a growing list.
The last few weeks have been a nightmare for Atletico on the injury front. After the London trip, Julian (already injured) and Giuliano picked up knocks. Two days later, Cardoso went down in training. Against Celta, Molina and Gimenez joined the list. And against Osasuna, Mendoza was added. That’s six consecutive injuries for a team that will play 61 matches this season. It’s a relentless toll that players are paying dearly.
Budimir’s uncharacteristic misses that no one expected.
Budimir is one of La Liga’s top strikers—his numbers speak for themselves, and he has anchored Osasuna’s attack for years, producing goals despite his team generating far fewer chances than the big clubs. That’s why it was so surprising to see him squander clear opportunities early against Atletico. One came after a rare, glaring error from Koke, who held his head in disbelief. The Atletico captain did redeem himself soon after by clearing a dangerous local chance.
Lookman’s message to Gasperini.
When Gasperini coached Lookman at Atalanta, he famously said the Nigerian was the worst penalty taker he had ever seen. Lookman seized his chance to disprove that when he stepped up for Atletico. He picked up a ball that seemed destined for Griezmann and calmly slotted it past Aitor Fernandez with his right foot—low, hard, and inside the post. Gasperini might have been watching. The penalty itself was a gift from former Rojiblanco Javi Galan, who raised his arm like a youth player.
Almada: chance after chance, and almost all wasted.
Thiago Almada has gone from bright prospect to growing disappointment. After an impressive start in red and white, he has become a regular suspect. Against Osasuna, he was once again criticized for his lack of offensive impact and weak defensive effort. Seeing the Argentine, it’s hard to believe he remains key for Scaloni’s world champion Argentina. At Atletico, his time is running out. He squandered yet another opportunity at this level, and Simeone pulled him off at halftime.
