Real Madrid and Girona Lead the Way
Girona pulled off a 4-3 victory against Atlético Madrid at Montilivi on Wednesday, with Iván Martín scoring the winning goal in the 91st minute, closing the first half of LaLiga as joint leaders with 48 out of 57 possible points, tied with Real Madrid.
Diego Pablo Simeone lamented after Wednesday's defeat in Girona (4-3) that Atlético Madrid wasn't "strong enough" neither in defense nor in attack, despite having "goal situations" in the second half to win the game.
The 'colchonero' coach also admitted that the team didn't start the match well but managed to recover. He emphasized his players' "enormous effort" and highlighted the "very, very good" work done in the second half, as his players created dangerous situations and were "key players."
Despite a strong second-half performance, the 'colchonero' team fell short, as in the 91st minute, Iván Martín scored the definitive 4-3 goal assisted by Portu, unleashing euphoria at Montilivi and leaving the 'colchonero' side ten points behind.
The Argentine coach also stated that "the loss is negative because it's against a rival that will be direct competition for Champions League qualification." However, he affirmed that "there are many positive aspects for the team's game."
To conclude, Simeone congratulated Girona, a team that is "in an ideal moment, plays well, is brave, and attacks a lot." With this result, Atlético Madrid momentarily drops to third place, and their position is in jeopardy as FC Barcelona could potentially separate themselves by three points if they win their match in this round.