In a thrilling start to the La Liga season, Atletico Madrid and Villarreal played out a 2-2 draw in an action-packed encounter on Monday. The first half saw all four goals as both teams showcased their attacking prowess at the Estadio de la Cerámica.
Villarreal struck first in the 18th minute when Arnaut Danjuma dazzled the crowd with a solo effort from a tight angle, giving the hosts an early lead. However, Atletico responded swiftly, with Marcos Llorente leveling the score just two minutes later with a powerful strike.
The visitors regained the advantage nine minutes before halftime thanks to a rare mistake from Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak. Oblak mishandled a cross, causing the ball to ricochet off teammate Koke and into the net for an unfortunate own goal.
Atletico Madrid, missing key players such as Stefan Savic, Mario Hermoso, Memphis Depay, and Álvaro Morata, showed resilience. New signing Alexander Sorloth, who joined from Villarreal this month, scored against his former club in first-half stoppage time to make it 2-2.
The second half saw both teams pushing for a winner, but neither could break the deadlock. Atletico introduced four Argentine players, including new arrival Julián Álvarez from Manchester City, in an attempt to secure victory. Despite their efforts, the match ended in a stalemate.
Notably absent from the Atletico squad was João Félix, amid reports linking him with a move to Chelsea.
The draw provides an exciting glimpse into the competitiveness of the La Liga season ahead, with both teams demonstrating they will be forces to reckon with in the campaign.
Reference(s):
Atletico Madrid fail to beat Villarreal in four-goal La Liga opener
cgtn.com
