Welcoming Girona, coach Diego Simeone still used the familiar 4-4-2 formation with the striker pair Griezmann and Morata, supporting them behind them with Koke, Saul Niguez, Rodri and Thomas.
Atletico had a not-so-happy start against Girona when fans came on 12 minutes late to react to the players' spirit after the Champions League defeat to Juventus. However, Simeone was also satisfied with Atletico's performance against Girona and believes that 3 points are of great value to them.
With home advantage and a more classy force, Simeone's students proactively increased the speed of the match and put pressure on the opponent's goal. In the 12th minute, Griezmann had a good chance to finish in the penalty area but his shot went straight to the Girona goalkeeper. In the 30th minute, an away team player almost burned his net after a difficult free kick from Rojiblancos on the right wing.
In the following minutes, Atletico were tancking tirelessly, causing Girona's defense to start to lose focus. In the 75th minute, Griezmann rushed in to head the ball, causing Girona goalkeeper to punch the ball but Godin was there to head the ball into the empty net, breaking the deadlock of the match. With the opening goal, the game was much easier for Rojiblancos in the remaining time.
Girona was forced to push up to find an equalizer, creating conditions for Atletico to play their strong counter-attacking defense. In the last minute of extra time, the home team's strengths were promoted, Vitolo passed the ball very freely to Griezmann to open the pace, facing the Girona goalkeeper. The French striker did not miss the opportunity to finish off his opponent, sealing a 2-0 victory.
A smooth 2-0 win with 2 goals from Diego Godin and Antoine Griezmann narrowed Atletico's lead with Barcelona to 8 points. There are 8 more rounds for Atletico players to dream of a miraculous comeback against the defending champions. If they beat the Catalans in this weekend's knockout round, Atletico are just five points behind them.
