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Oblak (6): Made three saves — three more than he made against Liverpool on Tuesday. The one goal he conceded is hard to blame him for, as Paco Alcácer received the ball off Šime Vrsaljko’s clearance and half-volleyed for an absolute wonder goal.
Vrsaljko (7.5): Euan McTear discussed on Saturday how the Croatian’s recent performances have put him in the conversation to be Atlético Madrid’s starting right back. Sunday saw him only boost his case with another great outing — capped by a lofted dot of a pass to Ángel Correa’s feet for a 40th minute goal.
Savić (6.5): Savić’s distribution of the ball stood out after he barely saw a touch against Liverpool. His short passing was accurate, and Felipe’s athleticism offers him more security when he wanders a little.
Filipe (7): Another strong showing from the center back. Passed strongly, completing seven out of his nine long balls, and pushed forward when he could to get headers.
Lodi (5.5): Lodi wasn’t able to build on his strong showing versus Liverpool. His few crosses weren’t as effective as they usually are. He spent most of the match on the defensive end and worked hard to contain the talented Rubén Peña.
Koke (8.5): El Capitán put on a show Sunday with his off-ball pressure and lethal delivery. He came up with four key passes along with a 91 percent completion rate, and all his efforts were rewarded in the 64th minute — when he made a looping run to connect with Correa’s cross. His header soared past Sergio Asenjo into the back of the net. The Spaniard finished his performance by supplying Félix with 74th minute goal.
Thomas (8): The Ghanaian’s presence was felt just about everywhere in the match. Thomas forced turnovers and looked aggressive with the ball at his feet — as ever, he wasn’t afraid to shoot. The all-around game from him is just as important as any goal or assist he provides. In all, he took two shots, made two key passes, completed six dribbles and made four tackles.
Saúl (5.5): A pretty quiet match from the central midfielder. Although he contributed on the defensive end, Saúl couldn’t do much in attack and lost the ball a little too much.
Vitolo (4): The 30-year-old wasn’t very impactful in his 57th minute. His best moment came in the 29th, when his header off Álvaro Morata’s rebound was somehow saved by a possessed Asenjo. João Félix replaced him before the hour
Correa (8.5): The Argentine was the star of the show, contributing a goal and an assist to lead his team’s fightback. In the 40th minute, Correa made a quick dash into the box and slotted Vrsaljko’s opportunistic ball home. Later on, he found himself on the receiving end of Kieran Trippier’s pass and pinged a short cross to Koke for the captain to score.
Morata (6): Although he didn’t convert, the striker was very active and used his height to his advantage. Asenjo made two great stops on him.
Subs:
Félix (7.5): The Portuguese’s first match back from injury saw him work some magic. It was his cross-field pass that found Trippier to help set up the second goal, and it was his long-range strike 15 minutes from time that finished off Villarreal.
Trippier (5): Trippier entered for Vrsaljko and looked as if he had missed very little time at all.
Llorente (N/A): The Spaniard played the last 10 minutes in relief of Morata, and couldn’t make much of an impact with such limited time.
Poll
Mattress Maker of the Match versus Villarreal:
This poll is closed
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37%
Koke
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42%
Correa
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10%
Thomas
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9%
João Félix