Griezmann scores a spectacular free-kick to send Atletico Madrid into the Copa del Rey round of 16.

Atletico Madrid secured their place in the next round of the Copa del Rey after a narrow 1-0 victory over Deportivo La Coruna at the Abanca-Riazor stadium. On a day when their attack lacked clinical finishing, Antoine Griezmann's moment of brilliance in the 61st minute was the only difference that sealed the match.

The first half was deadlocked, and the strikers lacked finishing ability.

Despite being considered far superior to their lower-league opponents, Diego Simeone's team had a tough first half. Atletico Madrid proactively pushed forward from the opening minutes in an attempt to gain an early advantage. In the 4th minute, Julian Alvarez had a golden opportunity after an assist from Griezmann, but his header was saved by goalkeeper German Parreno.

The visitors maintained constant pressure, but a lack of luck prevented them from scoring the opening goal. In the 15th minute, Matteo Ruggeri's shot hit the post. In the 41st minute, the crossbar once again denied Griezmann's powerful long-range shot. Conversely, Deportivo played a defensive counter-attacking game and nearly caused an upset if Juan Musso hadn't made a timely save to deny Zakaria Eddahchouri's header in the 31st minute.

Antoine Griezmann's masterpiece and Deportivo's resilience

In the second half, the same scenario repeated itself as Atletico continued to completely control the game. However, the deadlock was only broken in the 61st minute from a set piece. Antoine Griezmann proved his star quality by executing a perfectly placed free kick with his left foot, sending the ball straight into the top corner of the net, opening the scoring for Atletico Madrid.

After conceding a goal, Deportivo did not give up but pushed forward in search of an equalizer. They created considerable pressure on the visitors' goal in the final minutes. In the 63rd minute, Adria Altimira forced Juan Musso to make a save after a decisive long-range shot. The climax of the drama came in the 90+6th minute, when Giacomo Quagliata unleashed a thunderous shot from over 30 meters, but goalkeeper Musso's concentration helped Atletico preserve their narrow victory.

Professional statistics and evaluation

The 1-0 victory secured Atletico Madrid's qualification, but their performance at the Abanca-Riazor stadium revealed that coach Diego Simeone's attack still has areas for improvement, particularly in finishing chances. Meanwhile, the defense, led by Juan Musso, had an excellent day to keep a clean sheet.

For Deportivo La Coruna, despite being eliminated, their resilient performance against a top La Liga opponent was a testament to their fighting spirit. As for Atletico, they will need to prepare more thoroughly for the upcoming rounds as their opponents will become increasingly difficult.

Final score: Deportivo La Coruna 0-1 Atletico Madrid.