UEFA Europa League: Atletico Madrid vs. Aris
Thessaloniki – Half Time Report
The current Europa League Champions, Atletico Madrid were ready to face their opposition in their home ground, as Aris Thessaloniki were ready to face the champions while being away from their home in Madrid.
Madrid were playing their full team as they did not have a big match on the coming weekend while Aris Salonika were trying to fire themselves up as well as they were facing a very strong Spanish side.
The home side were ready and waiting for a strong opponent as snow started to fall in Madrid right before the game started. David de Gea was the one guarding the goal for the Spaniards while Tomas Ujfalusi, Diego Godin, Alvaro
Dominguez and Antonio Lopez were helping him out in the defence. Simao Sabrosa and Antonio Reyes were on the wings while Tiago and Mario Suarez featured in the midfield. The two outstanding striking forces, Diego Forlan and Kun Aguero were up front to change
the cause of the game by scoring goals.
Michalis Vellidis was the goalkeeper for the visitors and he was being helped by Kristi Vangeli, Nikos Lazaridis, Oriol Lozano and Michel Garbini at the back. Hector Raul Cuper, the coach of Aris Salonika was playing a traditional
4-4-2 with two holding midfielders in the middle and two wide stretched midfielders to help the strikers from the wings. Carlos Gutierrez was the one holding alongside Konstantinos Mendrinos. Juan Toja and Konstantinos Kasnaferis were the ones playing on the
flanks while Javito and Campos Maria were the ones who featured up front as strikers.
During the first half, there was a lot of action from both the sides as the visitors looked to be very strong during the starting few minutes of the game. The Greek side managed to take control of the game as it started and Koke
was the one who managed to find a goal during the 10th minute. The Greek striker managed to run past two Madrid defenders and easily drove the ball into the bottom left corner to help his side take the lead.
The Spaniards did not look to be disappointed and it was Diego Forlan in the very next minute, who managed to equalize the game for his side. From right outside the 18 yard box, Diego Forlan managed to find some space to hit the
shot on goal and the outcome was an extraordinary goal from the Uruguayan captain as he scored a marvellous goal for his team to put the game back on level terms.
After only 5 minutes, the Argentinean striker Sergio Kun Aguero managed to help his side lead the game as he scored a sensational goal from the penalty area. After the visitors took a defensive throw in, Tiago managed to steal
the ball and passed it on to the Argentinean striker. Aguero managed to swoop pass a few Greek defenders and after finding the perfect space, the Argentinean striker shot the ball into the net to give his side the lead.
The first half ended with Madrid leading the game with a single goal. The game was definitely far from over as the Spanish side were looking to be in good control of the game despite the fact that the Greeks were giving it their
best. The Spaniards were out there to prove why they were the champions of the Europa League last season, but there was definitely no doubt that the Greeks were trying to outplay the Spanish side even though they were losing the game in the first half.
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