Atletico Madrid vs. Rayo Vallecano: Winners and Losers from Copa del Rey
Antoine Griezmann bagged a late brace as Atletico Madrid moved into the Copa del Rey quarterfinals with a 3-0 home win over Rayo Vallecano on Thursday night.
Coupled with last week's 1-1 draw in the first leg at Rayo, the result gave Atletico a 4-1 win on aggregate.
The hosts took the lead in the 40th minute through Angel Correa's powerful shot off the underside of the bar. But they had to wait to finish off the match until Griezmann—a second-half substitute—scored twice in the final 10 minutes.
The victory provided a positive end to a tough day for Atletico, who received a one-year transfer ban from FIFA earlier Thursday, as announced on the organisation's website.
Here, Bleacher Report selects winners and losers from the match.
Winner: Antoine Griezmann
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Antoine Griezmann entered the match as a 70th-minute substitute and promptly showed why he's one of the top players in Spain at the moment. The Frenchman scored two good goals and gave his side a spark to finish off what had been a tight match until his arrival.
His first goal came in the 80th minute. After a corner bounced around Rayo's box, it sat up nicely for Griezmann. The Atletico man had his back to goal, but he managed to hold off his defender and flick the ball over his shoulder without turning to face the target.
On first glance, it looked like a scrappy goal. But on replay, one could see the Frenchman's superb ball skills shining through.
That technique was on display again in the first minute of stoppage time, when Griezmann beat the offside trap, raced onto a pass over the top, rounded Rayo goalkeeper Yoel with a deft touch and dinked into the net unopposed. While the entry pass was important, Griezmann flashed some seriously top-notch attacking skills during the sequence.
At the time of his arrival, Griezmann's Atletico led only 1-0 and were struggling to finish off Rayo. His entry brought the hosts some much-needed style and, more importantly, two late goals.
Loser: Jackson Martinez
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Jackson Martinez earned a start at the top of Atletico's formation. With it came another chance to impress manager Diego Simeone.
Despite working hard and trying to link play, the Colombian couldn't convert any of his chances. By the time he left the match for a substitute in the 83rd minute, Martinez appeared frustrated.
Perhaps that's why Simeone led the applause for his striker—correctly sensing the player's need for encouragement. Martinez had missed good chances in the 79th and 81st minutes, and he hasn't scored since October.
Winner: Diego Godin
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Diego Godin turned in a typically solid performance for Atletico Madrid, providing the hosts with stability and a calming presence at the back.
Rayo Vallecano dominated possession (58 percent, per ESPN FC) and tried 13 shots, but the visitors rarely carved out truly dangerous scoring opportunities. Godin, as ever, was a major contributor to Atletico's clean sheet.
Loser: Filipe Luis' Acting Skills
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Maybe the only downside of the night for Atletico—apart from Jackson Martinez's misses—was the yellow card Filipe Luis drew in the 61st minute for simulation.
The full-back had pushed forward into the attack, entering Rayo's box with the ball at his feet. After running into Ze Castro, Luis fell to the pitch rather theatrically.
The referee wasn't buying it. Instead, he correctly booked Luis for a silly dive.
Winner: Angel Correa's Strike
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Angel Correa provided perhaps the only moment of inspiration in a tepid first half, breaking the deadlock with a fierce strike in the 40th minute.
Collecting a pass from Yannick Ferreira Carrasco on the left, Correa turned and blasted a thunderbolt past Yoel and in off the underside of the bar.
Correa might have had another just before halftime after being played through on the right. But he unselfishly tried to set up Jackson Martinez, only to see Quini slide in with a crucial clearance at the last moment.
