Atlético Madrid 0-0 Athletic Club: João Félix sent off in intense draw

Athletic Club became the second consecutive team to exit the Wanda Metropolitano with a goalless draw — though a shorthanded Atlético Madrid will be considerably more aggrieved with Saturday afternoon’s result.

To start, Simeone swapped out Wednesday’s João Félix-Luis Suárez strike partnership, turning to Ángel Correa and Antoine Griezmann — a pair the coach utilized throughout 2017 and 2018. In addition, Rodrigo De Paul stepped in for the injured Koke while Renan Lodi was selected to offer Yannick Carrasco some rest — the Belgian had played all but 20 minutes this season entering Saturday.

The first chance came within the first minute, when a flying Marcos Llorente crossed for Griezmann. The Frenchman tried a half volley but didn’t guide the shot on target, and Griezmann hit a weak left-footed shot in the 17th minute that Iñigo Lekue easily cleared away.

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Though the reigning champions succeeded in escaping Athletic’s pressure thanks to the efforts of Geoffrey Kondogbia and especially De Paul, Atlético’s only shot on target in the first half was a Stefan Savić header from a Kondogbia cross. Despite trying to impose a faster, more threatening style on the game — the opposite of how Wednesday’s match wnet against Porto — Atleti entered the half goalless.

Correa hit a diving header wide from a Lodi cross almost immediately after the restart, while Iñaki Williams blew a breakaway chance a few minutes later. Williams sidestepped José Giménez to set up a one-on-one with Jan Oblak, but the forward missed absolutely everything on the ensuing shot.

The game continued relatively quietly until the final 20 minutes, when a controversial — even nonsensical — decision produced a chaotic climax.

Moments after Marcos Llorente struck the far post with an outside-the-box effort, referee Jesús Gil Manzano — who missed a blatant handball in the buildup to the only goal in Atlético’s loss to Sevilla last April — sent off Félix in the 78th minute.

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Athletic midfielder Unai Vencedor grabbed Félix’s jersey around the halfway line, but the Portuguese was shown a yellow card — Gil Manzano thought Vencedor going to ground was a function of Félix’s arm hitting him in the face, rather than what it actually was. Félix’s arm flailed outward as a function of the player moving at high speed (or “running,” as it is sometimes called).

Félix was then shown a second card for mouthing off at the referee, reportedly telling him “you are crazy.”

The 21-year-old exited the pitch in a fury, and Athletic’s players began to take more chances and tackle more aggressively following the decision. Iñaki’s little brother Nico Williams went studs-up into Oblak’s arms and chest trying to win the ball in the 18-yard box, leading to a crowd gathering behind the Atlético goal shortly after.

The colchoneros continued to press for an increasingly-unlikely winner and received a let-off when Asier Villalibre missed a golden chance as stoppage time began. But Unai Simón wouldn’t have another save to make, and Atlético’s players hovered around the officials as the final whistle blew at 96:02 — as the hosts were starting one last counterattack.

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Simeone’s men play at winless Getafe next, on Tuesday.

ATM XI Oblak; Savić, Giménez, Hermoso; Trippier (Cunha 77’), Llorente, Kondogbia (Herrera 55’), De Paul, Lodi (Carrasco 55’); Griezmann (Suárez 55’), Correa (Félix 60’; red card 78’).

ATH XI Simón; Lekue, Iñigo Martínez, Vivian, Balenziaga; Berenguer, Dani García (Zarraga 87’), Vencedor (Vesga 80’), Muniain (Morcillo 81’); Raúl García (Nico Williams 63’), Iñaki Williams (Villalibre 63’).