Atlético defeated Rayo in Vallecas (0-2) without major complications, except in the final minutes, and is close to Real Madrid in the fight for second place, from which they are now only two points apart. Simeone's men sentenced in two minutes of the first half, from 22 to 24, with two very consecutive goals that left Rayo on the canvas, unable to recover until a goal by Fran García in minute 85 put them back in the game. Andoni Iraola's men link eight games without winning and Atlético twelve games without losing.
Atlético carried the weight of the game for practically 90 minutes. The first goal came at minute 22. Carrasco started the play, combining with Griezmann. The Frenchman put it on Morata. Álvaro García intervened to cover up and his touch turned into a perfect pass for Nahuel Molina, who defined the cross against Dimitrievski, the first goal for the Argentine winger in the Atlético shirt. Molina celebrated the goal by displaying the shirt of Ángel Correa, whose mother passed away this week.
Mentally affected, Rayo conceded a second goal two minutes later, this time in a header from Mario Hermoso after a corner kick in which goalkeeper Dmitrevski went very wrong.
The second half began with a clear chance for Rayo, a ball that Fran Garcí failed to finish off on goal. In '57 Iraola introduced a triple change: Unai López, Raúl de Tomás and Isi Palazón left and Trejo, Falcao and Camello entered. It did not help much because in 62 came the expulsion of Lejeune with a direct red card when he knocked down Morata. The referee De Burgos Bengoetxea first took the yellow one but at the request of the VAR he went to the monitor and changed it for the red one when he understood that the defender was the last man.
With the game very expensive, Atlético had clear opportunities to shelve the game. Morata, Lemar and Griezmann forgave clear chances and in the end he ended up suffering. Fran García surprised Oblak in minute 85 with a very distant shot that came in tight on the post. He desperately attacked Rayo in the final minutes, but Atlético defended with order and kept the lead. Simeone's men are perhaps at the best moment of the season.
