Latest news with #JanOblak
Free Malaysia Today
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Free Malaysia Today
Sorloth hattrick guides Atletico to 4-0 win at Girona
Alexander Sorloth came off the bench to score a hattrick for Atletico. (EPA Images pic) GIRONA : Striker Alexander Sorloth came off the bench to score a hattrick in the second half and help Atletico Madrid wrap up their underwhelming season with an easy 4-0 win at lowly Girona today. With Barcelona having secured the title, there was not much to play for at a half-empty Montilivi stadium where two depleted squads squared up in a game that will not live long in the memory. Atleti manager Diego Simeone decided to leave several key starters on the bench, including goalkeeper Jan Oblak who with 30 goals conceded in 36 games, finished the season with the lowest goals-to-games ratio for the fifth time in his career. Atletico dominated possession but it took them 68 minutes to break the deadlock through Sorloth's close-range strike after Girona made a bad mistake and Rodrigo De Paul set up the Norwegian to tap the ball into an empty net. Defender Clement Lenglet headed in a rebound in the 87th minute before Sorloth took advantage of two quick counters to score twice in added-time. In the final weekend of the season, Barca, who host Athletic Bilbao later today, top the standings with 85 points, one point ahead Real Madrid, with Atletico finishing their La Liga campaign in third place on 76 points. Athletic Bilbao and Villarreal complete the top five line-up of teams who will represent Spain in next season's Champions League. Girona, who last season were the surprise packages of La Liga, ended 16th in the standings on 41 points, one clear of the relegation spots. 'We played a good game, which will be useful for the Club World Cup in the US that starts in less than a month because we will play many afternoon games under this same heat. Sorloth is a machine and he doesn't need many chances to score,' Atletico defender Axel Witsel told Movistar Plus. Atletico are in a tough Group B at the new-look 32-team tournament starting next month, along with Champions League finalists Paris St-Germain, South American champions Botafogo and MLS side Seattle Sounders. Witness football history in Malaysia as Manchester United take on the Asean All-Stars – it's the clash you can't afford to miss. Book your seat now at before they're gone!
Reuters
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Sorloth hat-trick guides Atletico to 4-0 win at Girona
May 25 (Reuters) - Striker Alexander Sorloth came off the bench to score a hat-trick in the second half and help Atletico Madrid wrap up their underwhelming season with an easy 4-0 win at lowly Girona on Sunday. With Barcelona having secured the title, there was not much to play for at a half-empty Montilivi stadium where two depleted squads squared up in a game that will not live long in the memory. Atleti manager Diego Simeone decided to leave several key starters on the bench, including goalkeeper Jan Oblak who with 30 goals conceded in 36 games, finished the season with the lowest goals-to-games ratio for the fifth time in his career. Atletico dominated possession but it took them 68 minutes to break the deadlock through Sorloth's close-range strike after Girona made a bad mistake and Rodrigo De Paul set up the Norwegian to tap the ball into an empty net. Defender Clement Lenglet headed in a rebound in the 87th minute before Sorloth took advantage of two quick counters to score twice in added time. In the final weekend of the season, Barca, who host Athletic Bilbao later on Sunday, top the standings with 85 points, one point ahead Real Madrid, with Atletico finishing their LaLiga campaign in third place on 76 points. Athletic Bilbao and Villarreal complete the top five line-up of teams who will represent Spain in next season's Champions League. Girona, who last season were the surprise packages of LaLiga, ended 16th in the standings on 41 points, one clear of the relegation spots.
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Atletico Madrid eye up shock move for Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez - but any deal WILL depend on Saudi Pro League transfer business
Atletico Madrid will move for Emiliano Martinez only if current goalkeeper Jan Oblak can be persuaded to accept an offer from the Saudi Pro League. Oblak, 32, has interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia and should he depart, Mail Sport understands Atletico would be interested in adding Martinez to the strong Argentine core in their squad. As things stand, however, Oblak is reluctant to leave the La Liga club and is under contract until 2028. Martinez signed a new five-year deal with Villa less than a year ago but it is thought he is open to a new challenge. He was very emotional on leaving the pitch after Villa's 2-0 win over Tottenham last Friday – their final game at Villa Park this season – and has interest in both Europe and Saudi Arabia. Villa expect to trade heavily again this summer and will likely sell a key player before June 30 to ensure they comply with Premier League spending rules. It is expected they will consider offers for Martinez if Unai Emery and his staff believe they can sign a younger alternative of similar ability. Like many clubs, they have been following the progress of Joan Garcia, a 24-year-old who plays for Espanyol. Martinez's No2 Robin Olsen is set to sign for hometown club Malmo in Sweden at the end of the campaign, meaning there will already be a reshuffle among the goalkeepers this summer. Asked about Martinez's reaction on Friday, Emery would not be drawn. He said only that it was 'very important for everyone to be focused on the final game of the season at Manchester United. 'And of course, then we will see about everything, how we are going to try to get better for the next season, when we come back.' Villa know a win at Old Trafford might not be enough to secure Champions League football. Though Villa are level on points with Chelsea and Newcastle, their goal difference is inferior to their rivals. Manchester City can also move two points clear of Villa with a win over Bournemouth on Tuesday.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Atletico title hopes evaporate in Liga draw with Espanyol
Atletico Madrid's Slovenian goalkeeper #13 Jan Oblak (R) fails to stop Javi Puado's penalty (MANAURE QUINTERO) Atletico Madrid's slim Spanish title hopes faded further with a disappointing 1-1 draw at Espanyol on Saturday in La Liga. Javi Puado earned the Catalan side a point with a penalty after Cesar Azpilicueta put the visitors ahead, leaving the Rojiblancos six points behind league leaders Barcelona despite having played an extra match. Advertisement Barcelona host Girona on Sunday in a Catalan derby, while Real Madrid, second and three points ahead of Atletico, welcome Leganes later Saturday. After Barca beat Atletico 4-2 in their previous top flight outing, before the international break, Diego Simeone's side knew they could not afford to lose further ground in the title race. Simeone put Julian Alvarez and Rodrigo de Paul on the bench after they featured in midweek for Argentina against Brazil in South American World Cup qualifying. Uruguay international Jose Gimenez also began on the bench but he was needed to replace Robin Le Normand midway through the first half after a clash of heads. Advertisement Espanyol, battling relegation and provisionally 15th, fought gamely against an Atletico side that played within themselves. Marcos Llorente had a goal disallowed early on for offside but Atletico failed to create further chances until Azpilicueta blasted the visitors ahead from distance. It was his first goal for three years and also his first for Atletico Madrid, but it was worth the wait as he hit a sumptuous volley into the top corner after Antoine Griezmann's cross was cleared to the edge of the box. Conor Gallagher came close before the break and Alexander Sorloth dragged a shot wide of the post as Atletico sought a second. Advertisement Espanyol had created little danger but found a way back level when Clement Lenglet blatantly pulled Leandro Cabrera's shirt in the box. Puado rammed the resulting penalty into the top corner past Jan Oblak's outstretched arm after 71 minutes. Alvarez, on from the bench, hit the sidenetting as the clock ran down on Atletico's ambitions, with Joan Garcia saving from a Griezmann header at the death. Eliminated from the Champions League by rivals Real Madrid, Simeone's side's last realistic hope of silverware is in the Copa del Rey, where they face Barcelona in the semi-final second leg on Wednesday. rbs/nf
New York Times
12-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Atletico Madrid 1 Real Madrid 0 (agg 2-2, Real win on pens): Antonio Rudiger's kick decides epic derby
Antonio Rudiger's penalty decided a bizarre shoot-out and an epic Champions League round-of-16 tie as Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid to advance to a quarter-final against Arsenal. Rudiger's kick squirmed through the grasp of Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak to win the shoot-out. Julian Alvarez had earlier seen his effort ruled out for a double touch, while Lucas Vazquez's effort was saved for Real, before Marcos Llorente's strike crashed off the underside of the bar. That left Rudiger to become Real's penalty hero. Advertisement Atletico levelled the tie just 27 seconds into the game when Conor Gallagher turned home a Rodrigo De Paul cross via help from Giuliano Simeone. Real were then frustrated in the first half and only found an opening when Kylian Mbappe was brought down by Clement Lenglet for a penalty in the 69th minute — which Vinicius Junior skied at a ground where he has suffered racist abuse. After extra time and penalties, it was 15-time winners Real who prevailed again. Here, our writers break down the key talking points. It might have been close to nine years ago now, but the last time these two sides had a game decided on penalties — the 2016 Champions League final — was still at the forefront of most fans' minds at the Metropolitano. Kylian Mbappe was the first to step up for Real Madrid, rolling the ball into the bottom right corner with ease, before Alexander Sorloth stepped up and found the same corner with much more power. Jude Bellingham also dispatched with outrageous confidence in that same spot, before the real drama unfolded. Atletico thought they had equalised after Alvarez smashed the ball down the middle, but it was subsequently disallowed for a double touch after the Argentinian struck the ball with both feet as he fell to the ground. Some home fans hardly knew what was happening as Federico Valverde stepped up and placed emphatically into the bottom right-hand corner, again, but Jan Oblak wrestled momentum back in their favour with a save to his left. All square at 3-3, with one penalty each to go. Llorente took on the responsibility and rattled the underside of the crossbar in an agonising miss, before Rudiger, who scored the winning penalty at Manchester City last season, squeezed the ball past Oblak and into the side of the net. Advertisement A horrific way for Atletico to go, but this is what Real Madrid do in this competition — win, against all logic. Thom Harris In the end it was Madrid who were celebrating, as they always seem to be after these encounters. Carlo Ancelotti's team did not play well at all, in either of the two legs, but when the vital moments came they found a way to come out on top. And for Atletico, this was about as painful as it gets — to have outplayed their richer rivals in both games, to have come so close to winning it in normal time, and then to be eliminated in the cruellest of ways. Even the shoot-out itself will be full of regrets — Alvarez slipping, Llorente missing against his old team, Oblak getting a hand to Rudiger's penalty but not keeping it out. It will take a lot of getting over for Atletico, but Real will feel that — as so often before — this is their competition and they can go on and win it now. Dermot Corrigan It all seems so long ago, but the tone of the first half had been set right from the opening moments. Atletico quickly attacked down the right and Madrid were caught completely cold. Nobody stopped De Paul crossing the ball, Raul Asencio was distracted by Guiliano Simeone's near-post run, and Gallagher nipped ahead of Valverde to smash in the opener from inside the six yard box with just 27 seconds on the clock. It was Atletico's earliest goal in a Champions League game, the first by an Englishman in a Madrid derbi and the quickest by an Englishman in the Champions League. 00:27 – Conor Gallagher's opening goal for Atlético Madrid against Real Madrid after 27 seconds is the fastest goal ever scored by an Englishman in the history of the UEFA Champions League. Vamos. — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 12, 2025 Returning to the XI after being a substitute for last week's first leg, Gallagher's performance epitomised everything that Simeone's team did well during the first half. The former Chelsea midfielder was fast into tackles, neat in possession and played with a determination and effectiveness that nobody in white could match. Advertisement At one point, Gallagher was quick to get a foot in and rob a flat-footed Jude Bellingham of possession near half-way, setting up Atletico for a counter-attack after a long spell of ineffectual Madrid possession. Bellingham, in his own way, also summed up all that went wrong for his team in the first period. He was sloppy on the ball, slow to react as Atletico players zipped around him, and his frustration was clear as the half progressed. He was involved in a needless bit of bother with a grinning Guiliano Simeone, and then remonstrated with his own team-mate Aurelien Tchouameni when they both attacked a cross in the Atletico area and got in each other's way. Gallagher appeared to have won the battle of the England internationals when he was withdrawn to a huge ovation in the 85th minute — although Bellingham was still full of running deep into extra time. Dermot Corrigan Atletico's out-of-possession shape in big games under Diego Simeone is rarely a surprise, but it is hard not to be struck by the energy, commitment and collective spirit on show every time they take to the Champions League stage. The set-up is always a 4-4-2 without the ball, but with the relentless duo of Giuliano Simeone and Gallagher starting on the flanks this evening — just as they did for their famous smash-and-grab win at Paris Saint-Germain back in November — it can seamlessly become five, six or seven across the back, depending on how many players the opposition commit forward. Real Madrid could only muster three shots in each half of normal time — their expected goals (xG) tally of 0.25, excluding penalties, was their lowest in a 90-minute game since Ancelotti returned to the club in 2021 — as their left-sided attackers struggled to connect down their most dangerous flank. Advertisement Simeone locked onto Ferland Mendy, rushing out to the full-back whenever he received the ball, while Rodrigo De Paul diligently followed the movement of Bellingham inside. That left Marcos Llorente up against Vinicius Junior — but the Spaniard often had help from Simeone Jr, who dropped back to double up with Mendy often further back. The communication between Atletico's trio was constant, De Paul barking orders to Simeone Jr, all three players with heads on a swivel to make sure they always had each other's back. Madrid did look dangerous down that side when Valverde was able to fizz pacy passes into Vinicius Jr, but even those moments of speed and precision were quickly smothered by sheer persistence and grit. Otherwise, it was just counter-attacks for Real. Later in the second half, Rodrygo was released down the opposite flank, only for Reinildo to make up 30 yards and come crashing in. The ability to repeatedly conjure that character and selflessness from his players is the work of a special coach, but it was still not enough for Atletico. Thom Harris When Real won penalty midway through the second half, with the tie poised on a knife edge, there was a second as everyone looked to see who would take given all of Vinicius Jr, Bellingham and Mbappe have taken spot-kicks this season. Vinicius Jr stepped up, with huge pressure on him, and phenomenal noise inside the stadium. It was a huge decision, given how much the Brazil forward has suffered at the Metropolitano, including awful racist abuse in September 2023. He had also been whistled by many in the stadium every time he picked up the ball from early in the game. It was not a good penalty, at all, skied high over the crossbar and into the area of the stadium where Atletico's ultras gather — the first Vinicius Jr had missed of eight he has taken for Los Blancos. Top-level sport is often cruel, but it was difficult not to feel for Vinicius Jr given the circumstances. He was withdrawn on 115 minutes, much to the Atletico fans' joy — but Real had the last laugh. Dermot Corrigan We will bring you this after he has spoken at the post-match press conference. We will bring you this after he has spoken at the post-match press conference. Sunday, March 16: Barcelona (H), La Liga, 8pm GMT, 4pm ET Saturday, March 15: Villarreal (A), La Liga, 5.30pm GMT, 1.30pm ET (Top photo by Thomas Coex/AFP via Getty Images)
