Atletico Madrid 3, Rayo Vallecano 1 | La Liga Match Recap

Atletico Madrid managed to keep the pressure on the leaders of the League thanks to a 3-1 win over Rayo Vallecano in the home opener tonight at the Vicente Calderon.

Visitors, true to form, had come to kill. Although the Ray tried to make his offensive game from the beginning, had trouble catching. Atletico, playing with a midfield of pure muscle, with Tiago, Mario and Gabi, benefited from turnovers in that precise area to generate danger. Thus came the first of the mattress box, after 11 minutes, when Antoine Griezmann took oil gift Zé Castro on the output to get to the area and shoot Toño.

Ten minutes later, the French striker doubled the lead from the home side, this time, in a play which started from the door. A long ball to Mario Mandzukic Moya combed barely manages to put it at the foot of Griezmann, with a couple of quick movements got rid of the brand and all alone went into the field to score his tenth goal of the tournament.

With the advantage, Atletico relaxed. They folded, waited for the Lightning in their midfield and although occasionally tried to hurt on the wing, seemed to have forgotten that they halt Vallecas never. The reminder came after the half hour mark. Although men of the bands battled to put a ball mode Manucho not stopped trying and was captain Roberto Trashorras which pulled with a right to pass Kakuta.

Enough to wake the Atlético, which turned to be a hard and hungry team. The sides of Rayo suffered to hold races Arda and central multiply trying to restrain Griezmann, who appeared everywhere; or, dodge it, then pressing as ever to the exit. And he was about to score the third with a new front shot that was deflected by little just before a corner Manucho finish off an own goal in an attempt to clear.

Atletico Madrid had learned his lesson and did not lower our guard, but had to work with hard to keep the advantage, since the Lightning, with a reinforced by Alberto Bueno attack, never ceased in its attempts to maintain control of ball and create danger. The Atletico box not budge beyond possession opponent, who just enjoyed a couple of times, and still had the clearest opportunities to score in the final stretch with Griezmann become a latent danger to the end. But the French gunpowder had finished giving himself and saved as minutes before made the Cholo with Manzukic and Arda, for the match against Barcelona next Wednesday.