Attractive match at Balaídos where both clubs could seal their goals if they got the win: On the home side Celta, which started the game six points above relegation, could certify their stay at LaLiga for one more season. On the visiting side Atlético, which have a comfortable distance towards the fifth spot, looked to secure their classification to the next Champions League edition.
Atlético scored the first goal in the first minute: right back Arias connected with Correa inside the box, and the Argentinian assisted to Morata in the second post, who just had to put it in with no keeper. The Rojiblancos knocked Celta out in the 51st second, the second quickest goal of the season. 0-1.
Atlético, without an excessive domain, had already done the most difficult thing, getting them ahead on the scoreboard and on the road. For this reason, thoey could now play the game they wanted to: falling back, waiting on their half, and looking for counterattacks. On the other side, Celta, on a 5-3-2 system, were struggling to build through the middle, as Atlético´s numeric superiority held them off. Non of them wanted to take over the ball, but Celt were forced to as they were down in the scoreboard. Cholo´s ideal scenario.
Effectively, Celta grew in the game and grabbed the ball, but they could only attack through the wings, and non of their crosses created any danger. Aspas was barely touching the ball and so Atlético were very comfortable allowing the minutes to pass by. This way until halftime, because Celta tied it up right away: midfielder Brais Méndez crossed with his left foot from the right side, and the other midfielder Fran Beltrán scored the equalizer through a weird shot, kind of like a chip, that went to the right top of Oblak´s goal. 1-1.
Now it was Atlético the one who did not want the draw, but they were unable to put Celta in trouble. The Rojiblancos had lost control of the game and needed freshness forward, which Celta did faster, as coach Óscar García put Rafinha and Santi Mina on the pitch. Thanks to this, the sky-blues improved considerably on the attack. The next one was Cholo, who put in Herrera, Manu Sánchez, Vitolo and Lemar, but non of the substitutions changed the direction of the game.
Celta´s keeper Rubén Blanco had to leave the field as he got injured on his quadriceps, so academy goalie Iván Villalba substituted him. The young player saved a good shot by Lemar from outside the box, but Atlétio drew once again on the road on their 15th fraw of the season, their biggest struggle thgis year. On the other side, celta add a vital point that bring them closer to their stay at LaLiga.
