It wasn't always pretty, and it certainly wasn't without drama, but Atlético Madrid secured their fourth straight La Liga victory on Saturday. A moment of pure brilliance from Nahuel Molina was enough to settle a feisty Madrid derby as Atleti beat Getafe 1-0 at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.
Molina’s Rocket and a Bizarre Red: Atleti Edge Getafe in Heated Derby
It wasn't always pretty, and it certainly wasn't without drama, but Atlético Madrid secured their fourth straight La Liga victory on Saturday. A moment of pure brilliance from Nahuel Molina was enough to settle a feisty Madrid derby as Atleti beat Getafe 1-0 at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.
The Match Story: Early Magic & Groin-Grabbing Drama
The Piledriver (8’)
The game was barely eight minutes old when the deadlock was broken in spectacular fashion. Getafe failed to properly clear a loose ball, and Nahuel Molina pounced.
From 25 yards out, the World Cup winner unleashed a swerving "rocket" into the top-right corner, leaving David Soria rooted to the spot.
The Woodwork and Wasted Chances
Atleti looked to kill the game early. Alexander Sørloth saw a powerful header crash against the woodwork from an Álex Baena cross, and Julián Alvarez had a late effort cleared off the line by Domingos Duarte. Despite 16 shots, the cushion never came.
The "Bizarre" Red Card (55’)
The match took a turn for the surreal early in the second half. Following a VAR review for an off-the-ball incident, Getafe defender Abdelkabir Abqar was shown a straight red card. The reason? The cameras caught Abqar "pinching" Sørloth in a very provocative—and painful—area of his body. Getafe’s protests fell on deaf ears, and they were forced to play the remainder of the game a man down.
The Milestone: Juan Musso has officially written his name into the record books, becoming the first goalkeeper in the 21st century to keep a clean sheet in each of his first four La Liga appearances.
Tactical Perspective: The "Musso" Security
Diego Simeone’s rotation policy ahead of the Champions League clash with Tottenham almost backfired. By resting Ademola Lookman and Julián Alvarez for an hour, Atleti lacked their usual offensive fluidity. However, the 3-5-1-1 structure provided the defensive solidity needed to absorb Getafe's late pressure. The real star of the tactical setup is Juan Musso; his ability to organize the back three (Giménez, Witsel, and Reinildo) has turned Atleti into a fortress that has yet to concede since he took the gloves.