Laguardia brings down Griezmann and the centre-back becomes the fourth Alaves player to get booked at the Metropolitano.
90' +1
Javi Montero gets yellow.
Burgui is taken out by Montero while on the ball, and the substitute defender is the fifth Atletico player to be cautioned by referee Hernandez.
90'
There will be two minutes of added time to be played.
87'
Rodri has scored a goal for Atletico Madrid!
GOOOAAALLLL! RODRIGO MAKES IT 3-0! Another Atletico break results in Vitolo breaking into the box, but he’s unable to get a shot in before Correa forces Pacheco to make a point-blank save! However, the unmarked Rodrigo is in acres of space and comfortably knocks the ball into an empty net! Game, set and match for Simeone’s men!
82'
A. Griezmann has scored a goal for Atletico Madrid!
GOOOAAALLLL!! GRIEZMANN DOUBLES ATLETICO’S LEAD! The pacy striker is put through on goal after a pinpoint throughball by the substitute Vitolo, and despite Laguardia’s touch forcing the ball onto the post, Griezmann is able to slot the ball into the back of the net at the second attempt! 2-0 to Simeone’s men, and the Metropolitano is now rocking!
81'
Rubén Sobrino enters the game and replaces Martín Aguirregabiria.
One last roll of the dice for Abelardo as Martin comes off for Sobrino in another attacking change.
79'
T. Partey gets yellow.
Thomas, who has been a general in midfield so far, is cautioned for time-wasting by the referee.
76'
Martin delivers the ball into the box, but it manages to evade everyone. Goal kick to Atletico.
74'
Oblak has to apologise to his team-mates after he misjudges the direction of Jony’s cross and palms the ball behind for a corner. Montero proceeds to concede another, but the second attempt is blocked by Vitolo's arm, and he gives away a free-kick with potential to cause havoc.
Minute
Description
72'
Burgui enters the game and replaces Ibai Gómez.
Abelardo makes his second change of the match as their creative hub Ibai surprisingly comes off for Burgui.
70'
Calleri gets a header in after connecting with Jony’s delivery, but he’s unable to steer it towards goal and his chance goes high and wide to Oblak’s right.
66'
Saul finds Correa in acres of space, but the Atletico winger’s cross is cut out by Pina for another corner. Thomas’ delivery is headed away by Laguardia, but referee Hernandez blows his whistle after noticing some infringement in the box. Alaves win a free-kick.
64'
Javi Montero enters the game and replaces T. Lemar.
Simeone makes his final change as the industrious Lemar makes way for Montero.
62'
Griezmann goes close there, attempting to chip the ball over Pacheco after getting played in by Lemar, but sails over the goalkeeper’s right. Goal kick to Alaves.
59'
Oblak manages to get a hand onto Ibai’s floating set-piece, and palms the ball away from any immediate danger! However, Pina is able to play it back to Ibai, and he is able to get a deflected shot in that Oblak himself has to tip over the bar!
58'
S. Arias gets yellow.
Arias barges into Jony as he chases the Alaves forward, and he becomes the sixth player to get booked by referee Hernandez.
56'
Vitolo enters the game and replaces N. Kalinić.
The goalscorer Kalinic makes way for Vitolo in Simeone’s second substitution of the match.
53'
Rodrigo fouls Ibai, and Alaves now have a promising free-kick situation themselves. However, Ibai’s delivery is cleared by Arias and goes out for a throw-in. Baston eventually gets the ball and floats in a cross, but Oblak is able to catch it.
50'
Laguardia gets in the way of Correa’s cut-back after Griezmann’s quick free-kick plays him through. Lemar takes the corner, but Pacheco is able to gather the ball.
48'
The ball doesn’t bounce too kindly for Griezmann after Laguardia makes a hash of his clearance, but the France forward is able to get it back and cross it into the box but for Manu to play the ball out for a corner.
47'
Rodrigo gives the ball away to Baston in the Atletico half and Alaves threaten down the wing, but the attack is stopped by Griezmann who tracks back to snuff out the danger.
46'
Borja Bastón enters the game and replaces M. Wakaso.
Abelardo makes his first change during the interval, as Baston comes on for Wakaso in a like-for-like midfield swap.
Alaves get play restarted as the second half gets underway!
45' +2
HALF-TIME: ATLETICO MADRID 1-0 ALAVES
45' +1
Griezmann has options on either side as Atletico attempt a fast break, but instead of playing in the overlapping Arias, he tries to get the ball to Kalinic but for Laguardia’s timely intervention.
45'
There will be two minutes of added time to be played.
43'
Laguardia connects with an Ibai free-kick, but the defender’s header is high and lands on the roof of Oblak’s net.
42'
Savic finally clears the ball away after Ibai’s deep cross from the right wing caused some panic in the Atletico box.
37'
Ximo Navarro gets yellow.
Navarro is shown the game’s fifth booking after complaining to the referee about Kalinic’s foul, protesting that the striker should’ve been shown his second yellow.
36'
J. Giménez enters the game and replaces L. Hernández.
Gimenez replaces the injured Lucas, who looks bitterly disappointed as he hobbles off the pitch.
33'
Correa does extremely well to get a cross in the box after some pressure from his marker, but the delivery is headed away only as far out as Rodrigo, but his shot from outside the box is safely caught by Pacheco.
25'
N. Kalinić has scored a goal for Atletico Madrid! Assist by S. Arias.
Arias does well to run onto Lemar’s brilliant pass, and it was his cross that caused havoc in the Alaves defence before Kalinic was able to stick it past Pacheco.
GOOOAAALLLL!! KALINIC GETS ATLETICO THE LEAD! Lemar switches the ball out wide to the overlapping Arias, and the right-back’s cross is bundled into the back of the net by an onrushing Kalinic! 1-0 to Los Rojiblancos, and they are now level on points with league leaders Barcelona!
23'
Jony plays a good one-two with Calleri and gets inside the Atletico box, but the quick forward is unable to get past Thomas and Atletico play keep-ball as they look to get their groove going in this match.
22'
Á. Correa gets yellow.
Correa’s late challenge on Calleri earns in the Atletico winger a yellow - the fourth one given in this match so far.
20'
No clear-cut chances by either side so far in a hot-tempered opening 20 minutes.
18'
Griezmann tries to get on the end of a deep Lemar corner, but he is unable to get any contact on the ball. Goal kick to Alaves.
17'
Chance for Atletico as Griezmann is dispossessed by the Alaves defence after he attempts to shoot following a good Correa cut-back. The corner is quickly taken, but Alaves deal with the danger. The home side get the ball back though, and after some extended possession, Griezmann’s cross is cleared away by Martin for another corner.
16'
Tomás Pina gets yellow.
Pina becomes the third player booked - and Alaves’ second in two minutes - after a high foot takes down Saul.
15'
J. Calleri gets yellow.
It’s a nasty challenge by Calleri as he goes studs-up on Lucas’ ankle as they go for the same ball. Referee Hernandez doesn’t hesitate to book the forward.
10'
Savic upends Calleri as Alaves try to make a break for the Atletico half. It has been a stop-start 10 minutes in Madrid so far.
8'
Lemar goes down after Manu clips his ankle from behind. The winger quickly takes the free-kick and runs towards goal, but his shot is wild and goes wide to Pacheco’s left.
7'
Griezmann continues his run into the Alaves box after playing in Kalinic, but the latter sets it to Lemar instead. The France winger is unable to conjure anything up though, and the ball goes out for a throw-in.
5'
N. Kalinić gets yellow.
Kalinic gets the game’s first booking after his flailing arm hits Navarro in the face. A bit of a fiery start at the Metropolitano, with several fouls by both teams already being committed.
3'
Kalinic is in the box and gets his head to a Griezmann cross, but he fouls Aguirregabiria as he makes contact with the ball.
1'
Referee Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez blows his whistle, and Atletico get us underway at the Metropolitano!
The home side are decked out in their iconic red-and-white striped shirts and blue shorts, while the visitors are sporting their away colours in all-green.
Lemar takes an early free-kick after Correa is felled by Duarte, but the set-piece is headed away by the Alaves defender.
Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of this LaLiga clash as Atletico Madrid host Deportivo Alaves at the Wanda Metropolitano!
Despite last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Girona which confirmed their worst start to a LaLiga season since 2011/12, Atletico Madrid remain in third place having not lost a league match since the 1st of September and are still hot on the heels of Sevilla and leaders Barcelona. With an excellent record against their visitors under Diego Simeone, Los Rojiblancos should be confident of securing another key result on home soil where they’ve yet to taste defeat so far this campaign.
Alongside their hosts, Alaves are the only other team to possess an undefeated home record this season, which has helped propel the Basque side to fourth and a point ahead of Real Madrid. The early LaLiga surprise packages have had their best ever start to a league campaign, but they travel to the Metropolitano without a win in three matches in all competitions. With that said, Abelardo Fernandez’s charges will have to do extremely well to pick up anything against opponents that they tend to struggle against more often than not.
With 15 minutes to go before kick-off, let’s take a look at how both sides line up, starting with the hosts.
ATLETICO MADRID (4-4-2): Jan Oblak; Santiago Arias, Stefan Savic, Lucas Hernandez, Saul Niguez; Angel Correa, Thomas Partey, Rodrigo, Thomas Lemar; Antoine Griezmann (c), Nikola Kalinic.
ALAVES (4-3-3): Fernando Pacheco; Martin Aguirregabiria, Ximo Navarro, Victor Laguardia, Ruben Duarte; Manu Garcia (c), Tomas Pina, Mubarak Wakaso; Ibai Gomez, Jonathan Calleri, Jony.
SUBSTITUTES: Antonio Adan, Jose Gimenez, Francisco Montero, Gelson Martins, Vitolo, Joaquin Munoz, Borja Garces.
SUBSTITUTES: Antonio Sivera, Ruben Sobrino, Borja Baston, Guillermo Maripan, Darko Brasanac, John Guidetti, Burgui.
Captains Griezmann and Manu lead their respective team-mates out as kick-off draws near.
Hardly a mesmerising opening half, but Simeone will still be pleased at going into the break with a deserved lead against their stifled opponents with Lucas' injury being the only blemish. Thomas and Rodrigo were able to control the midfield as the game wore on, and Kalinic has proven himself to be an able deputy for the injured Diego Costa so far with his second goal in his last two starts. A professional 45 minutes for Los Rojiblancos, as the Metropolitano continues to be a fortress for the home side.
Alaves have had few bright spots before the break, with Ibai providing the Basque side’s only clear shot on goal so far. Calleri has been unable to get anything out of the solid Savic and the in-form Jony has been quiet throughout. Abelardo’s side will need to up their creativity to get past their hosts’ combative defence.
Next up for Atletico is a trip to Belgium to face Club Brugge on Tuesday in their final Champions League group game, followed by domestic action at Valladolid on Saturday. As for Alaves, they play host to Athletic Bilbao next Monday.
And that wraps up our coverage. We hope you enjoyed our commentary, and until next time, goodbye!
Commentary
More…