Atletico Madrid toil for three points away to Rosenborg BK
Atletico Madrid got a much-needed win in the Europa League on Thursday, 4 November, defeating Norwegian champions Rosenborg BK 2–1.
Atletico, who are playing to defend their title from last season, had only four points from three games going into the encounter. An early strike from Sergio Aguero gave the Spaniards the lead before Markus
Henriksen's strike put the teams level.
It was Tiago Mendes who got the last word, though, when his spectacular solo effort earned Atletico the win at the end of the second half.
"A draw would have been a fairer result, but we take home with us maximum points. Football has given us more than we deserved," Atletico boss Quique Sanchez Flores said after the victory.
Aguero grabs his fifth in five
Aguero, who recently returned from injury, put the defending champions ahead with ease in the fourth minute of the first half.
Raul Garcia's cross-field pass picked out Simao Sabrosa on the left side of the box. The winger advanced towards the byline and hit a low cross that the Argentine only had to tap in to the empty goal to
claim his second of the competition and his fifth goal in as many games.
After the goal, the home team pressured Atletico, with strikers Rade Prica and Steffen Iversen both coming close to pulling a goal back, while Tiago and the lively Diego Costa missed an opportunity each
within the space of a minute.
Seven minutes after the break, the Norwegians equalised through Henriksen, whose surging run from midfield was spotted by veteran Iversen, the striker laying the ball off for the 18-year-old to finish
between the legs of David de Gea.
While the Spanish keeper could have kept Henriksen's effort out, he did well to save twice from Morten Moldskred after the goal.
The home team pushed to get in front, Iversen squandered an opening from only six yards before Costa hit his shot wide of Daniel Orlund's goal.
Tiago stuns the Norwegians
The treat of the game came against the run of play after Rosenborg produced 20 shots on goal to Atletico's eight.
Tiago, who is on loan from Italian side Juventus, dodged three Rosenborg challenges in midfield, earning the time to pick out the near corner with a dipping drive from out that Orlund had no chance of
stopping.
Atletico, who are now second in Group B with seven points, need a win against Aris Thessaloniki to secure the progress to the knock-out phase.
Thessaloniki are third with four points, one ahead of fourth-placed Rosenborg, while Bayer Leverkusen lead the table with eight points from the first four games.
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