Atletico Madrid enhanced their chances of progressing from Group B in the FIFA Club World Cup with a convincing 3-1 win over the Seattle Sounders, who have now been eliminated from the tournament following three consecutive home losses—marking a first for the club since March 2011.
After a disappointing 4-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico was determined to make an impact from the outset, creating several opportunities early on through Alexander Sørloth and Julian Alvarez. It didn’t take long for the Spaniards to open the scoring, as Pablo Barrios struck a stunning first-time shot that hit the underside of the crossbar before finding the net.
Sørloth missed a prime chance to extend their lead, but Jan Oblak showcased his skills at the other end, denying Danny Musovski in a thrilling opening 20 minutes.
Sørloth faced a frustrating first half, failing to convert a one-on-one opportunity against Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei. Despite the disappointment, Brian Schmetzer’s side displayed resilience, momentarily believing they had earned a penalty when Reed Baker-Whiting was flagged for a foul on Giuliano Simeone. However, a VAR review controversially revealed that no foul had occurred, resulting in a drop ball instead.
At halftime, Diego Simeone would have been annoyed that his team hadn’t put the game beyond reach, and they were almost punished when Baker-Whiting’s long-range shot narrowly missed the target.
Nonetheless, Axel Witsel came on at the start of the second half to increase Atletico’s lead, heading home from close range after Robin Le Normand’s cut-back, as Frei could only parry Marcos Llorente’s initial effort.
Just when it appeared that Atletico was heading for a comfortable victory, Albert Rusnak capitalised on defensive hesitation to score a close-range goal that reduced the deficit.
However, Seattle’s joy was short-lived as the goals scored against them highlighted defensive shortcomings. A long throw-in allowed Barrios to apply the simplest of finishes past Frei after the ball had bounced within the box. Jesus Ferreira thought he had reignited hopes of a thrilling finish with a late goal, only for it to be rightly disallowed for offside.
This match served as a harsh lesson for the spirited Americans, who, despite their effort, lacked the quality required to challenge one of Europe’s elite.
The Rave Green have now conceded a minimum of two goals in each of their past four games, as they prepare for their final tournament clash against PSG on Monday. Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid faces a must-win match against Botafogo on the same day to secure their progression to the knockout stages.
————————————
Sponsored:
FIFA Club World Cup – Every Game Free, exclusively on DAZN.
Sign up here to start streaming.
————————————
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
Fanpage:Â SportArena.com.au.
LiveScore – Live Sports Results & Odds.
