Translated material
The third one is not superfluous
Atlético linked up with Real Madrid and Barcelona
The Spanish championship standings are taking on an increasingly traditional look by the Christmas holidays. “Real” is ahead, but not so far as to kill the intrigue. Barcelona, a little in the shadows, is waiting for the moment to make a breakthrough, and Sevilla has been replaced by Atletico Madrid in the role of the “third man.”“Mattressers” (as Atlético are called for their traditionally striped T-shirts, the first of which, according to legend, were made from mattress upholstery) are always among those who can challenge the giants before the start of the championship. This is due to the third largest budget in the Spanish Example, and the third place in popularity, which is reflected in the division of income from the sale of television broadcasts. Madrid, investing millions in the purchase of star players, over and over again refuted the forecasts that were flattering for them.
This time the “colchoneros” are not like themselves. And being one of the most productive and entertaining teams in the championship, they climbed to third place. An important factor that contributes to the current rise of the “mattress guys” is the luck that accompanies Aguirra’s team. For example, in the last match with Getafe, Atlético miraculously gained three points. At their home arena, the Vicente Calderon, Madrid opened the scoring in the 20th minute, after which they noticeably calmed down. And in vain. It is not for nothing that Getafe is considered the most unpleasant middle team, capable of ruining the mood of a team of any level. The nine-match unbeaten streak, the longest, by the way, this season in the entire Spanish championship, is further confirmation of this.
Only a combination of circumstances did not allow Michael Laudrup's team to avoid defeat again. Several times, only a miracle saved Atlético from conceding a goal, and Getafe had every chance to punish the hosts for their carelessness in defense. In the 66th minute, the hosts were left in the minority - Serichio Aguero, who was twice caught in a simulation, was sent off from the field. The same Aguero who was awarded the Golden Boy prize by the Italian magazine Tuttosport. The trophy is awarded to Europe's best player under 21, and this season the 19-year-old Argentine has beaten the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Lionel Messi and Wayne Rooney to win the World Youth Championship.
Happy with his personal trophy, Aguero could have substituted his team this time, but soon the referee equalized the lineups, and then completely sent off Getafe goalkeeper Abbondancieri, and since Laudrup had used all his substitutions by that time, defender Contra took his place in the visitors’ goal. He, however, had little work to do, although he fought off one of the nasty blows. And so, for the most part, the guests attacked, especially since the referee again equalized the lineups, expelling Reyes from the field. In total, in this match the referee took out cards of various denominations 18 times, and added seven minutes to the second half.
Atlético held on and briefly moved into second place, ahead of Barcelona. However, the Catalans, having won against Deportivo, returned to their rightful place. At the same time, one of the goals was scored by Ronaldinho, who returned to the squad, talk about a possible move to Chelsea intensified last week. “We do not have the slightest desire to sell Ronaldinho, and we are not negotiating with anyone, neither with Chelsea nor with any other club,” the Barça president was forced to deny rumors about the sale of the Brazilian to England for 50 million pounds » Joan Laporta.
But Atlético beat another troublemaker this fall - Villarreal. The ascent of the “yellow submarine” was stopped by Betis, who was forced to perform similar small feats in order to stay afloat. Moreover, the victory over Villarreal was the second in a row for new Betis coach Francisco Caparro, and now his team does not look like such a hopeless outsider as, for example, Levante.
Sevilla also made a small breakthrough from the depths, with Alexander Kerzhakov unexpectedly appearing in the main lineup for the match with Murcia. The Russian forward was active and eventually achieved his goal - in the second half he earned a penalty, which Maresca converted to bring victory to Sevilla. But the best in the team was still Luis Fabiano, who, having scored two goals, became the leader among scorers with 10 goals.
Results of the 15th round. "Osasuna" - "Valencia" - 0:0, "Athletic" - "Real" - 0:1, "Almeria" - "Valladolid" - 1:0, "Villarreal" - "Betis" -- 0:1, Levante -- Recreativo -- 0:2, Zaragoza -- Espanyol -- 3:3, Racing -- Mallorca -- 3:1, Sevilla "-"Murcia" - 3:1, "Atlético" - "Getafe" - 1:0, "Barcelona" - "Deportivo" - 2:1.