A total of 18 goals were tallied across Girona’s last three fixtures, and Atlético Madrid arrived with momentum from a six-goal victory over Sevilla at Sánchez Pizjuán that bled into every moment of the upcoming Montilivi clash. Yet the Monday night duel delivered a quieter drama. Only one goal found the net, courtesy of Alvaro Morata, and it stood after a marathon VAR review that stretched everyone’s nerves.
The Rojiblancos striker found himself a fraction ahead of Girona’s last line, narrowly keeping Atlético from leaving Montilivi without reward. Some chalked up the goal to fortune; others wondered why beauty seemed to elude the decision. VAR continues to polarize opinions, a sensation shared by clubs across the league on days when the ruling lines up with the visiting side’s fate.
And VAR says it’s a GOAL @AlvaroMorata ✅
Melero López initially disallowed the effort, only for the call to be overturned after review, sealing a moment of relief for Atlético in a tense campaign. The moment was captured in a post from DAZN Spain, illustrating the rollercoaster of interpretation that accompanies modern decisions in La Liga.
— DAZN Spain has documented the turn of events as the match unfolded, highlighting how technology can swing perception in a flash.
six point margin
In the end, three points went Atlético’s way, strengthening their position in the race for Champions League qualification after a rough patch earlier in the season. They sat six points ahead of fifth-placed Real Betis. While nothing is assured with a third of the campaign remaining, Atlético’s results suggested a team inching toward stability and clarity as they chase a successful finish.
On the field, the home team Girona showed early resolve. The position of right-back Arnau surprised Atlético in the first minutes, with the young Spaniard dropping into central zones to press and disrupt the visitors’ rhythm. That early shift did not translate into immediate chances, but it marked Atlético’s need to adapt as the game settled into a more balanced pattern.
improve athletic
Momentum shifted after a quarter of the match when Simeone adjusted his approach, deciphering the weakness exposed by Míchel’s set-up. Rapid breaks down the right flank of Girona’s defense became a corridor for Atlético, with Carrasco, Griezmann, and Lemar exploiting space to tilt the balance and pressure the Catalan backline.
Atlético’s pressing intensity rose, and a flurry of attacking actions followed. Memphis Depay stayed lively, though his game tended toward individual moments rather than sustained teamwork. Despite a sustained spell of pressure, the goal remained elusive for the visitors for a time, and Girona’s defense held firm enough to keep the scoreline tight through a tense opening period.
After the break, Atlético carried the sense they were creating chances and wanted more, but the rhythm did not translate into a decisive breakthrough. In football, tempo is fickle; persistence can falter, and the night’s momentum proved a lesson about how quickly a game can shift when one side finds a source of momentum that the other cannot dampen.
triple change
Simeone responded with a triple substitution, inserting Correa, De Paul, and Morata in place of Lemar, Llorente, and Depay. Yet the changes failed to spark the immediate lift Atlético sought. The home side even faced a scare when David López rifled a shot from midfield, with Oblak reacting in a split second to avert disaster as Atlético clung to the possibility of a late twist.
It was a moment that underscored the tension of a match decided by margins and moments, not long-range breakthroughs. A post-match reflection from Morata captured the mood, a simple recall of the match’s grind and the sense of relief when a difficult decision finally fell Atlético’s way.
Riquelme also came close to making a difference, drawing a sharp save from the Slovenian goalkeeper as Girona pressed for a late equalizer. The home team’s spirit remained high, even as key contributors Oriol Romeu and Aleix García limped off the field with injuries that underscored the physical toll of a tightly contested fixture.
The game’s final act unfolded in stoppage time when Griezmann delivered a precise corner from the near post. Correa extended the ball across the goal, and Morata finished with a controlled finish into the net. Although the assistant flagged for offside, the VAR review discredited that call, allowing Atlético to celebrate a pivotal win and the prospect of a successful climb toward Europe’s elite competitions.