Atlético de Madrid became the leader after the dispute of the first day of LaLiga EA Sports 2023-2024 after beating the recently promoted Granada 3-1 with work, thanks in large part to a great goal from Memphis Depay just when the The visitors had achieved a draw at the Cívitas Metropolitano.
The Dutch striker came on in the second half and fueled what had hitherto been a somewhat thick attack from the mattress team, which had not prevented him from leading the game with an added goal in the first half from Álvaro Morata. However, the Granada team did not forgive a mistake to equalize, but before nervousness spread, the '9' took a tremendous shot out of his hat that gave his team the lead again and left his team 'touched' his rival.
Atlético did not sign a good first half in their league debut, saved by a carom in the addition that Álvaro Morata did not waste. Granada's approach, with three central defenders, choked him, and also he did not take advantage of a very good initial opportunity in the boots of his striker who could not overcome Ferreira after a good combinative play and assistance from Griezmann.
The early muscular problem that left Koke Resurrección out of action did not help the mattress team either, although little by little he got away from the intense initial outing of his rival to take command of the clash, although without much sense of danger except when the The ball ended up at the feet of the French '7' or an incisive Yannick Carrasco.
A poorly executed strategy, despite being in a good position, by Rodrigo de Paul was the other best option for Diego Pablo Simeone's men in an irregular first 45 minutes where he played in gusts and in which he lacked some lucidity in the final meters to disarm the defense of a Granada, with little offensive bite, but who defended themselves with order and with the work in the middle of Sergio Ruiz.
However, when the Nasrid team aspired to go to rest with a good result, the extra time and a rebound punished them. Jesús Vallejo could not prevent a ball from a cross from hitting him and becoming a lethal assist for Morata to make it 1-0 and relieve Atlético on his way to the locker room to reflect.
The second half was somewhat livelier, especially thanks to the draw that Granada achieved through the young striker Samu Omorodion and that aborted Atlético's improvement, which came out better and warned with a shot from César Azpilicueta and, above all, with a great opportunity wasted by Memphis Depay, Morata's replacement, after one more internship for Carrasco.
It seemed that a new scenario could open up in the match, but it was not like that because Memphis returned the lead to the rojiblancos five minutes later with a tremendous shot from 25 meters, a clear candidate for goal of the day. The Dutch striker was close to making it 3-1 shortly after in a backheel attempt after a good run from Azpilicueta.
The match opened up much more because Granada went looking for an equalizer and left spaces behind for the local counterattack. Memphis, after Ferreira came out quickly against Ángel Correa, replacement for a discreet Griezmann, had the sentence, but, despite the absence of the goalkeeper, he could not beat the defenders with his shot. Oblak also appeared key to amend an inappropriate loss with a good hand to Myrto Uzuni and Marcos Llorente sentenced in the addition to avoid tension at the end and give the lead.
