The famous Mestalla was full again tonight, as Valencia fans waited anxiously to finally witness their team’s win over Atletico Madrid. Eight long years have passed but the win hasn’t come and it won’t this year either, as the reserve Antoine Griezmann’s strike brought the guests a much-needed win: Valencia – Atletico 0-1. Diego Simeone’s team got a ’slap in the face last week when Villarreal won in the middle of Madrid, but tonight they got big help from the player they want to keep but don’t want to pay.2 – Antoine Griezmann 🇫🇷 has scored two goals in his last three games for Atlético de Madrid in LaLiga, as manyas in his previous 19 league games for the club. Revitalised. pic.twitter.com/cW2OKEj1kN— OptaJose (@OptaJose) August 29, 2022 When Atletico brought back Griezmann on a loan, conditions were very clear: If he plays more than 45 minutes in 14 games this season, then Atletico Madrid are bound by contract to pay 40 million euros to Barcelona, and they don’t want to do that. So, Simeone was forced to play the Frenchman for only 29 minutes in every game this season, also risking Griezmann’s World Cup invitation. They also asked him to negotiate a reduced salary, but despite all that, Antoine saved them tonight with a winning goal, after coming to the game as a sub.
Apart from the winning goal, two things stood up – VAR and the home keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili. The Georgian international saved all he could, apart from Griezmann’s goal, while VAR nullified Valencia’s euro-goal, but also saved Correia from an early dismissal. Yunus Musah scored a stunner in the 25th minute, but the home team and the fans were disgusted when VAR correctly disallowed the goal due to the foul which lead to the goal. Morata managed to force a foul from Correia at the end of the first half, and Valencia’s defender was red-carded since he was the last man in defense, but VAR overturned the card to yellow. Since Griezmann’s goal, Valencia was again aggressive and attack-oriented, but the result stayed the same. Atletico managed to get through, Valencia are left to look for consolation against Getafe at the Mestalla at the weekend after their second straight defeat.LA LIGA – MATCHDAY 3FridayGirona – Celta 0-1 (0-0)/Aspas 49/Real Betis – Osasuna 1-0 (1-0)/Iglesias 34/SaturdayElche – Real Sociedad 0-1 (0-1)/Mendez 20/Rayo Vallecano – Mallorca 0-2 (0-1)/Muriqi 13, Lee 64/Almeria – Sevilla 2-1 (1-1)/Ramazani 42, Sadiq 55 – Torres 30/SundayGetafe – Villareal 0:0Barcelona – Valladolid 4-0 (2-0)/Lewandowski 24, 64, Pedri 43, Roberto 90+2/Espanyol – Real Madrid 1-3 (1-1)/Junior 12, Benzema 88, 90+12 – Joselu 43/MondayCadiz – Ath.Bilbao 0-4 (0-1)/Williams 24, Guruzeta 56, 90, Berenguer 78/Valencia – Atletico Madrid 0-1 (0-0)/Griezmann 66/