Atletico Madrid Eliminated As Botafogo Progress

Botafogo booked their place in the last 16 of the Club World Cup at the expense of Atletico Madrid, despite a 1-0 defeat by the Spanish side.

Atletico knew they needed to win by a margin of at least three goals to qualify and struggled to break down a resolute Brazilian team for much of the game.

After a first half of limited chances, Atletico manager Diego Simeone opted to introduce veteran striker Antoine Griezmann for the second period in a bid to spark some magic into his team’s attack.

The Frenchman nearly had an immediate impact when he got in down the left but he fired against the post from a tight angle.

Alexander Sorloth, who had the highest xG of any player in the tournament going into the game, headed a glorious chance wide from six yards.

Atletico finally found the net when Griezmann fired home from inside the area in the dying minutes, but it was too little too late.

Botafogo will play the winners of Group A in the last 16, while Simeone’s side are out.

What were the main talking points?
Atletico Madrid and forward Julian Alvarez had a number of half-hearted penalty appeals throughout the game and looked to be getting one in first-half stoppage time.

The video assistant referee (VAR) recommended on-field official Cesar Ramos to head to the monitor after Alvarez was allegedly tripped in the box.

After the review, Ramos said it was a foul and would have been a penalty. However, a free-kick was awarded to Botafogo for a push by Sorloth that occurred immediately prior to the foul on Alvarez.

An honourable mention almost must go to legendary rapper and producer Snoop Dogg, who was among the Botafogo supporters in the Rose Bowl.

The 53-year-old was spotted wearing the black and white shirt of the Brazilian side and was snapped dancing with fellow supporters pre-match.

Which players stood out?
Despite missing a few half-chances, Alvarez was a constant menace for Atletico and always looked the most likely to create something.

He linked up well with strike partner Sorloth throughout and was unfortunate not to win his side a penalty following that VAR decision.

Griezmann made a difference after his introduction at half-time and will be wondering how he did not start the match.

The entire Botafogo team stood out from one to eleven for their valiant defensive display. They worked tirelessly for each other throughout and always looked a threat on the break.

The standout stats
Atletico had an xG of 3.05 over the 90 minutes but were only able to find the net once.

They had 23 shots to Botafogo’s seven, with 17 of them from inside the box.

What’s next for these teams?
Paris St-Germain’s victory against Seattle combined with Botafogo’s loss means the Brazilian side finished second in Group B and will face the winners of Group A in the last 16. As things stand, that looks likely to be one of Inter Miami or fellow Brazilian team Palmeiras.

Atletico Madrid have been eliminated.

Bbc.com