Athletic Bilbao Beat Below-Par Atlético Madrid

Athletic Bilbao stunned a lacklustre Atlético Madrid side 3-2 at the Vicente Calderón, thanks to two goals from Fernando Llorente and one from Koikili.

The away side outplayed their hosts for much of the game and deservedly picked up the three points, even though there was a fair amount of good fortune about two of their goals.

Similarly, there was plenty of good fortune in the opener scored by Atlético as Antonio López hit a shot from outside the box that took a deflection, sending it past Gorka Iraizoz in the goal.

The Basque side had a few chances to hit back and they did eventually get level before the half-time whistle as Koikili hit a shot from distance that Leo Franco should have dealt with, but the 'keeper let it go straight through him.

After the break things got worse for Atlético as first Llorente benefited from some awful defending from Tomas Ujfalusi to score, and then the striker tapped home from close range, again after some poor work at the back by the home side.

To make matters even worse Maniche received his marching orders late on for a second yellow card and chants rang around the Calderón calling for coach Javier Aguirre to be sacked.

Diego Forlán pulled a goal back deep into injury time but it was too little to late for Atlético and they are still looking for their first win of 2009.

First-Half

The snow on the pitch might have been cleared prior to kick-off but it was still present in the stands, and this resulted in the start being delayed, as Gorka Iraizoz was pelted with snowballs from the home fans. When the match did finally start about five minutes late though, there was not too much for the home support to shout about, as the game proved to a be a cagey affair from the off.

Indeed, it took until nearly twenty minutes for the first shot to be fired in, and when it was, it resulted in the opening goal. The move started with a corner on the right and the ball going over the box and falling to Antonio López, in the side to replace Mariano Pernía. The Spaniard cut inside one defender and blasted a shot, that went through a crowd of players and fortunately for López, took a deflection that helped it past Gorka.

With that slice of luck behind them, Atlético might have been expected to go and press for the second, but instead it was Athletic Bilbao who came closest. First, Fernando Llorente was presented with an opening from a tight angle after he beat Álvaro Domínguez for pace on the right, but his shot was saved well by Leo Franco, and then Koikili saw his effort saved by the 'keeper soon after.

Athletic looked as though they would level the score soon after though when Tomas Ujfalusi made a mistake to allow Markel Susaeta in, only for Llorente to mis-kick from about ten yards out. The away side did get back into the match before half-time though as Koikili hit a shot from 30 yards on the left that Leo Franco inexplicably let go through him and into the goal.

Second-Half

It was an awful end to the half for Atlético and things got even worse after the break when Athletic went ahead. Again the goal owed a little to good fortune but also to another big mistake by Ujfalusi, that this time he did pay for. The defender was guilty of gifting the ball to Llorente in front of goal and from there he hit a shot that deflected off Domínguez and past Leo Franco in the goal.

It was too much for the Atlético fans to take and chants for Aguirre to be sacked began to ring out around the Vicente Calderón. It looked as though it had got worse just minutes late too when Athletic had the ball in the net from a corner, but the linesman correctly ruled it our for offside.

However, it did get worse with twenty-five minutes left, as Llorente scored his second, and Athletic's third, of the match. The striker was set-up by David López and this time he made no mistake as he buried his shot, giving the goalkeeper no chance. The goal looked as though it would seal the three points for Athletic but as insurance they soon had a numerical advantage, when Maniche was given a second yellow card for jumping with his elbow when going for a header.

The away side seemed more than content to pass the ball around and tire out Atlético and despite a late tap in from Forlán after good work by Sergio Agüero in the box, the Basques deservedly held on for all three points.

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James Walker-Roberts, Goal.com