With a resounding victory in the first leg, Atletico have one foot in the Europa League quarter-finals.
Atletico Madrid defeated Lokomotiv Moscow 3-0 in the first leg of the round of 16 at home.
Goals: Niguez 22', Costa 47', Koke 90'
Returning after their defeat to Barca in La Liga, Atletico are focusing all their efforts on the Europa League. Coach Diego Simeone fielded his strongest team for the match against Lokomotiv, including Saul Niguez, Diego Costa, Antoine Griezmann, and Koke.
Atletico fans didn't have to wait long to celebrate the opening goal in the 22nd minute. Niguez scored with a spectacular long-range shot from 35 meters, sending the ball into the top corner.
Griezmann was unlucky, missing several good opportunities to score. Midway through the first half, following a mistake by opposing goalkeeper Guilherme, the French striker had a chance to shoot into an empty net but his shot went wide of the post. In the 47th minute, Griezmann missed another golden opportunity when his volley hit Guilherme's leg in a one-on-one situation. Taking advantage of the rebound, Costa scored to make it 2-0.
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Atletico are a leading contender in this season's Europa League. Photo: Reuters |
Continuing their dominance, Atletico scored the winning goal near the end of the match. Koke scored with a precise tap-in after a cross from the right wing in the 90th minute.
Having won convincingly in the first leg, Atletico holds a significant advantage. In the second leg next week, the Spanish team can afford to lose by two goals without worrying about missing out on a quarter-final spot.
