After two games Atletico Madrid find themselves in a strong position in Champions’ League group D following their victory away at early group leaders Lokomotiv Moscow. A match in which Black Stars midfielder Thomas Partey bagged just his second ever goal in the competition.
They got their campaign under way last time out with a stunning fight back to draw with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus and they’ve followed the point up with a further three after a solid performance in Russia and Partey played a key role in the win at both ends of the pitch.
The Spanish side should have taken an early lead. Partey whipped in a corner that was flicked on at the near post, but an unmarked Diego Costa somehow put the ball over the bar when it looked easier to score.
Partey was on fine form though and was dictating play for his team and the away side nearly got their noses in front through Alvaro Morata who was denied by a smart stop from Guilherme Marinato in the Lokomotiv goal – a chance that came about from a Koke back heel following a defence splitting pass from Partey.
Diego Simeone would have been pleased with the first half display but perhaps disappointed not to have taken a lead in at the break,but it didn’t take long for the game’s dominant side to notch in the second half.
In the summer Atletico spent a whopping €120 million to land teenage sensation Joao Felix from Benfica and it was Partey’s fellow midfielder who opened the scoring on 48. Felix exchanged passes with Morata and although his first effort was straight at Marinato, it had too much power for him to hold. Then, the Portuguese gobbled up at the second opportunity–a goal that will earn him headlines as Atletico’s youngest ever European Cup goal scorer, overcoming Sergio Aguero.
The home side didn’t threaten an immediate reply and 10 minutes later it looked like game over as Atletico made it 0-2. Felix was heavily involved again as he drifted in of the left flank to float a precise ball to Costa. On an intelligent move, Diego Costa played a first time pass into the danger zone and Partey was the man who had to bust a gut to get in the box andconfirm the 0-2 result in Moscow.
Partey’s goal seemed to ignite the hosts into life and they looked to halve the deficit immediately when a quick counter ended with Dmitri Barinov supplying a deep cross to Grzegorz Krychowiak, who netted the opener in their surprise victory over Bayer Leverkusen in game week one.
The ex-West Bromich Albion defensive midfielder forced Jan Oblak into a fine stop down to his right. When Krychowiak went to turn home the rebound he looked set to score but Partey, who had made up a huge amount of ground with a sprint that would rival the best athletes in the NFL MVP odds, put his body on the line to divert the effort out for a corner kick.
Atletico saw the game out 0-2 and are second in the group behind Italian champions Juventus, who defeated Leverkusen 3-0 to ensure they lead the way on goal difference. Partey will almost definitely start in the home tie with Leverkusen in three weeks’ time.
If he can again help his team take the maximum points at their home ground – the Wanda Metropolitano -it will take a miracle not to see Partey strut through in the knockout phase; the only question that would remain is whether it will be Atletico or Juve who are topping the group.
