Late Carrasco penalty boosts Champions League hopes!

April 17, 2022

Atletico Madrid improved their Champions League qualification ambitions with a thrilling 2-1 victory over Espanyol on Sunday,

with Yannick Carrasco scoring twice, including a stoppage-time penalty.

Last weekend, Diego Simeone’s team lost 1-0 to Real Mallorca and were knocked out of the Champions League

by Manchester City on Wednesday,

before struggling once more at the Wanda Metropolitano.

Atletico had to wait until the 52nd minute for replacement Carrasco to score their first goal,

before Raul de Tomas levelled the game with a free-kick after Geoffrey Kondogbia was sent red.

a late handball judgement against De Tomas earned Atletico a penalty,

which Carrasco scored in the 10th extra minute,

bringing Simeone’s side level on points with Sevilla and Barcelona and three points ahead of fifth-placed Real Betis.

Atletico had won seven of their previous nine home league games against Espanyol, but it was Vicente Moreno’s visitors who got off to a better start.

Watch the exciting goals of the match with Atletico Madrid!

At halftime, Simeone replied by introducing Antoine Griezmann, Matheus Cunha, and Carrasco, and Atletico’s fortunes quickly turned.

Cunha dashed towards the Espanyol goal before laying an inch-perfect pass for Carrasco to cut in and slot a right-footed strike past Diego Lopez to put the game out of reach.

Oblak then saved a low De Tomas shot,

but the Espanyol striker’s resulting free-kick wiggled under the Atletico goalkeeper after Kondogbia was award a second yellow for handling.

Carrasco won the match after De Tomas was deem to have handled an Atleti corner,

allowing the home forward to score from 12 yards into the bottom-left corner.