Alavés Stalls Atlético in Lacklustre Draw

Atlético's season finale is proving to be a long and arduous journey, as their chances of competing for the league have slipped away, leaving them adrift in away matches. Alavés, a team with limitations but driven by the threat of relegation, orchestrated a lacklustre game plan that offered little spectacle and met with scant resistance from Atlético, save for a brief period in the second half.

Pragmatic Chacho Coudet opted for midfield solidity, choosing Guevara over the recovered Joan Jordán. The Basque side started intensely, playing with physicality in line with their need to distance themselves from the relegation zone. Meanwhile, Atlético controlled possession but lacked the clarity to convert it into meaningful attacks.

There was little to savour despite the sunny day in Vitoria. Alavés' midfield strategy successfully disrupted Atlético's game creation, leaving them mired in confusion. The situation threatened to worsen for Atlético when Julián Álvarez received a red card for a clash with Garcés, which was rightly downgraded to a yellow after a VAR review. The challenge from Álvarez was harsh but not severe enough to reduce his team to ten men.

The first half ended with nothing to show, devoid of goal-scoring opportunities. It wasn't until the start of the second half, with a desperate toe-poke from Kike García following an Alavés counter-attack, that the first gasp of the match was heard. Atlético, equally stagnant as in the first half, also faltered defensively, allowing a free header to Guridi, which the midfielder from Gipuzkoa failed to capitalise on.

Simeone responded to his team's regression by introducing Sorloth and Lino in place of the once again absent Griezmann and the unusually inactive Giuliano. The changes invigorated the rojiblancos, with an electrifying performance from the Brazilian, the standout player for his side. These were Atlético's best moments, yet Oblak was called upon to save the day once more, thwarting Kike García's masterclass in duelling with the Atlético defenders.

Sivera responded at the opposite end, denying Lenglet's attempt with the best save of the match, and the game concluded in a much more entertaining end-to-end fashion, albeit goalless. The draw aids Alavés in their fight for survival; Atlético, on the other hand, seems to have their minds elsewhere, perhaps on the Club World Cup.