Club World Cup: Atletico Madrid bounce back against Seattle thanks to Pablo Barrios

Atletico Madrid defeated Seattle Sounders 3-1 at the Club World Cup, but defensive issues remain ahead of their key clash with Botafogo on 23 June.

After conceding four goals to PSG in their Group B opener at the Club World Cup, Atletico Madrid recovered some of their goal difference by defeating the Seattle Sounders 3-1 on Thursday 19 June at Lumen Field. However, the scoreline does not reflect the full story, as the Spanish side left a negative impression and gave Botafogo fresh hope ahead of their group decider.

Even against a technically inferior opponent, Los Colchoneros struggled to control the match and at times lost their grip on proceedings entirely. The American side threatened almost every time they attacked and arguably deserved more than the single goal they scored.

According to SofaScore, the Sounders finished with four big chances (three missed), 16 shots (more than Atletico), and a disallowed goal for offside. Their only goal came from Albert Rusnak, following a defensive lapse—just one of several errors committed by the Spanish side.

Atletico were still able to create danger going forward. When they did manage to dominate—especially early in the first half and late in the second—they looked dangerous. Barrios opened the scoring with a well-placed shot and added a second after a throw-in led to a scramble inside the box. Witsel, meanwhile, scored Atletico’s second early in the second half with a header.

Atlético start strong but struggle in the first half

The Spaniards made a bright start. In addition to Barrios’ tenth-minute goal, Sorloth forced a save from Frei with a header, and Julian Alvarez missed a clear chance right in front of goal. Sorloth then squandered another opportunity shortly after, failing to convert from close range.

In the 25th minute, the Norwegian striker again failed to score after beating his marker, firing straight at Frei. Atletico also appealed for a penalty following a challenge on Simeone by Baker-Whiting, but VAR advised the referee not to award the spot kick.

The Sounders were not limited to defending. In the 16th minute, Musovski missed a huge chance after a mistake by Gimenez. Later, Bell forced a good save from Oblak, while Baker-Whiting shot narrowly wide.

Seattle keep pushing in open second half

The second half began at a frenetic pace. All three of Atletico’s goals came within a nine-minute span, but the tempo remained high for the rest of the match. Oblak was called into action again to stop a Musovski shot, while Kossa-Rienzi came close with a deflected effort.

Julian Alvarez also struck the crossbar, while Jesus Ferreira had a goal ruled out for offside. Eventually, Atletico took more control of the game. The introductions of Griezmann, then Correa and Gallagher, added the composure that had been missing for most of the evening.

This article was originally published on Trivela.