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Atletico Madrid logo
La Liga
Jan 20, 2013 at 6pm UK
 
Levante logo

2-0

Koke (60'), Adrián (32')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Live Commentary: Atletico Madrid 2-0 Levante - as it happened

Sports Mole's live commentary of the La Liga clash between Atletico Madrid and Levante.
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Atletico Madrid hosted Levante sitting second in La Liga, between Barcelona and city rivals Real Madrid.

Despite Levante setting up well and being well-organised, Madrid were able to control the possession and went ahead through a heavily-deflected Adrian strike.

The second half saw a wonder strike from young midfielder Koke and Atletico were deserved 2-0 winners.

Read how the action unfolded with Sports Mole's live commentary.


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Good evening all and welcome to our coverage of tonight's La Liga action. First up is Atletico Madrid at home to Levante.

Atletico have been very good so far this season. They currently occupy second in the table, behind Barcelona of course.

They are, however, ahead of their more illustrious neighbours, Real Madrid, which their fans will be absolutely loving.

Team news coming up for you first.

ATLETICO XI: Courtois; Manquillo, Miranda, Godin, Filipe; Tiago, Gabi, Koke, Rodriguez; Adrian, Falcao

LEVANTE XI: Munia; Lell, Navarro, Ballesteros, Pedro Lopez; Diop, Iborra, Ruben, El Zhar; Michel, Martins

It might be stating the obvious, but Levante have to keep Falcao quiet if they are going to get anything at all out of this one.

The Colombian has just Lionel Messi above him in the La Liga scoring charts - and let's face it, the Argentinian would be ahead of everyone. He has hit 18 goals so far which, pleasingly for Atleti fans, is two more than Cristiano Ronaldo.

Levante have found themselves in contention for Europe this season so are certainly no mugs. They sit within reach of the top six, and that is a carrot for them.

Levante don't have nearly as prolific a striker as Falcao. Obafemi Martins leads their chart with six in the league. He's a threat with his pace, is the Nigerian.

Despite all that, Atletico are quite rightly overwhelming favourites for this one. I'll just take a quick peek at the odds.

You can back the hosts at 4/11 at the best price I've been able to find. Short odds, but safe money in my opinion. Don't put your mortgage on it though.

Best odds to be currently had for Levante are 21/2. There's a chance of an upset, but it is slim in my opinion.

We're underway here. I fancy 3-1 to the home side.

Atletico pressing early on, and they have won an early corner here.

Koke takes, Miranda gets a head on it from about 10 yards but it's well off target. Straight up the other end it's a corner for Levante.

CHANCE! Falcao plays a lovely one-two with Adrian to get a sight of goal, but his shot is blocked for a corner. Good opening that, but the defence recovered well.

The early flow of this game is certainly Atletico looking to get the ball down and play it. Levante are set up to break, which they have shown once with that attack leading to a corner.

Levante come forward with some nice football and find El Zhar down the left. His low cutback is decent but Manquillo is able to clear.

Levante are coming into this a little bit now. They have just started looking for the ball into Martins's feet but so far have been unable to work something that way.

They try with a ball over the top this time and Martin does well to steal it from Filipe, but eventually the move breaks down.

Atletico now getting back on top. The earn a corner through Ruben on the left. It comes in and Munua manages to get a punch on it and away for another corner.

The hosts have a free-kick here on the left. Koke awaits over it, but his delivery is poor, too long and straight into the gloves of Munua.

For all Atletico's pressure, they are vulnerable to the pace of Martins, but so far are dealing with it well. Atleti win another free-kick on the left, this time much closer to the box.

However the delivery is the same. Too long and out for a goal kick.

It's ebbing and flowing this one, but so far only the one real chance for Falcao. Levante will be happy at this point, I suspect.

The game is being played in the Levante half. Atletico probing as you'd expect, but as yet the away defence has been solid.

YELLOW CARD: Levante come forward and win a free-kick from a foul by Gabi. He got left behind and hauled back his man, that's a fair booking.

Not a great deal to report in the last few minutes. Both sides have won a few throws and the majority is still being played in Levante's section of the middle third. Atletico win another corner after Adrians shot is blocked.

Levante coming forward more in the last few minutes. However, as has been the case throughout, their play has fizzled out as they near the Atletico box.

I've not had a look at the possession stats yet, but my giess is Atletico have the majority. The up their tempo with Filipe down the left, but his cross is too long for anyone in the box.

CHANCE! Rodriguez drives from deep and shoots from just outside the box, but it's quite a way wide. Just a glimmer of an opening there.

CHANCE! Another comes with Tiago bursting down the right and putting in a low cross towards Falcao, but the defence just about clear it for another corner.

Atletico are trying to up their tempo a bit now. They're looking for short passes in midfield before releasing the wide man. Adrian finds Falcao but he's crowded out as has been the case often so far.

GOAL! Atletico 1-0 Levante (Adrian)

Tiago finds the 18-year-old Manquillo, who had marauded forward from right-back. His cut-back went through everyone to Adrian at the far post. That could have gone in off Navarro, and it might go down as an own goal. I'll keep you updated.

No-one can deny Atletico that goal. It was deserved after the slowly upped the tempo in the five minutes prior to it. Levante now will hope to not concede again before the break or it could be over.

Filipe, who has been good down the left, tries again but this time gives away a goal-kick instead of winning a corner.

The rest of this game will be a good test of Levante's European credentials. If they can at least make a game out of it then it will be a morale boost. While it's 1-0, they still have a chance. Diop looks for Martins over the top but he's struggling to feed on the scraps.

YELLOW CARD: A rare Levante foray forward ends with Atleti breaking it up. The hosts break and Lopez goes into the book for a foul on Adrian.

Manquillo, in his first league start, is showing great strength down the right. He's got a very calm head and he wants to break forward at any opportunity.

Levante win a free-kick. From it, the ball falls to El Zhar from about 30 yards out but his short is harmlessly wide. Just two shots for the away team compared to Atletico's seven.

Oh dear. Ballesteros gives away a free-kick but Diego Godin gets involved unnecessarily and there's a spot of handbags. His side had the free-kick, there was no need to go through the back of Ballesteros.

Ruben Garcia goes for a shot from distance just before the break, but it's high and wide.

HALF-TIME: Atletico 1-0 Levante

So, Atletico lead and in truth it has been rather comfortable. They've perhaps not created enough to be more than 1-0 up, but they've been rarely threatened.

Even though it's only 1-0 to the hosts, it's a big ask for Levante to turn this around. The game has the impression that Atleti will just be able to turn it up a gear if need be. Thus far, they haven't needed to.

It hasn't been confirmed whether the goal has gone to Adrian or a Navarro own goal. My opinion is that Adrian's shot was going across goal and not in, so it should go to the defender.

I don't think Juan Ignacio Martinez will make any changes at half-time. If his side can continue to keep it tight they're still in it. Expect some substitutions around the 60-minute mark.

The teams are back out and we're about ready for the second half. Atletico to get us underway.

Here we go then. Can Atletico up their game and score a few or can Levante get their counter-attacking game in order to get back into it?

Koke looks to combine early on with Filipe, but the return ball is overhit and goes to Munua.

Adrian fouls Diop after a frustratingly poor first touch lets the Senegalese nick the ball from him.

YELLOW CARD: A decent spell of possession for Levante as they look a little more positive early in this half. They win a free-kick but Michel is carded for taking the free-kick too early. What a picky bit of refereeing. Ridiculous.

Then Koke encroached when it does finally get taken - he's about two yards away but the referee doesn't give anything. Bizarre.

Driving run from Rodriguez down the left and Diop again wins the ball for an Atleti throw. There's a bundle in the corner again involving Rodriguez and this time he earns a free-kick right in the corner.

It's headed away and Levante break through Lopez. However the move slows down and they eventually win a free-kick when Tiago goes in high.

Half a chance for the visitors. The ball is played in deep to Michel on the left, who cuts it back first time on the volley, but it's claimed by Courtois.

More atrocious officiating. The ball hits Ruben's back and goes out of play, but the linesman gives a goal-kick instead.

CHANCE! Falcao plucks a long ball out of the air and has a chance to get in on goal. However he's down injured, I think the act of controlling it has tweaked a hamstring. A shame because he would have been clear.

SUBSTITUTION: Diego Costa comes on for Falcao. That is a blow for the hosts and Levante will be buoyed by it.

Costa's first act is to be brought down by Ballesteros right at the corner of the box on the left hand side.

GOAL! Atletico 2-0 Levante (Koke)

Oh my word, what a hit that is! The free-kick is cleared but Koke works himself some space on the edge of the box and whips one right into the very top corner. Absolutely superb that from the 20-year-old.

Before Real Madrid kick off later tonight, this win (should they indeed hang on) will put Atletico 10 points ahead.

Martins almost gets on the end of a ball into the box in a good position, but he's just unable to get a proper touch and it goes wide. That was a half-chance for Levante.

Levante now, as they have to, looking to press a bit more. It's leaving openings at the back but a poor pass there from Gabi and the chance is gone. Diop heads well over from a cross.

SUBSTITUTION: Second change for Atleti as Raul Garcia comes on for Rodriguez. The armband goes to Tiago.

Free-kick now here for Levante, in a dangerous spot to the left-centre of the box. It deflects off the top of the wall to the grateful hands of Courtois.

Ruben bursts through with pace down the right before Rodriguez brings him down. The free-kick comes in from Barkero and it's comfortable again for the home goalkeeper.

Levante are the better team for the time being. That said, it is up to them to do the pressing. Atleti will be more than happy to play on the break. Rodriguez wins a free-kick wide left near the goal line.

Koke swings it in towards the near post and it could even have gone in but for Munua's punch behind.

Currently the game is being played in the middle. Levante look unlikely to be able to break through Atletico. The hosts, meanwhile, are happy to let the time run down. Levante earn a corner on the right hand side.

Barkero took it, but Courtois dominated his box to claim it high.

It's become a bit scrappy in the last few minutes, with both sides guilty of poor touches and poor passes. There's still not enough urgency from Levante for me, maybe they're happy with 2-0?

OFF THE BAR! Rodriguez cuts inside onto his right foot, selling Ballesteros a dummy. He strikes it from the edge of the box and clips the top of the bar. Great effort.

Manquillo still looking to get forward at this late stage. Tiago's pass is just cut out as he looked to clip it over the top for the marauding full-back.

Atletico now in control once more. They might not be dominating possession as they did at 1-0 up, but there's very little threat from the visitors.

Roger Marti, who has just come on, is showing a sense of urgency, but Filipe is strong to shepherd the ball out of play.

Atletico are a little more than five minutes away from their 18th consecutive home win in all competitions. Their form here is a huge part of the reason they are right up there in the league.

Atletico pip it from a Levante attack but they have no need to break swiftly and instead choose to pass it around the defence.

CHANCE! Juanlou hits on the half-volley after a somewhat aimless long ball by Levante. He catches it well but it finds only the side netting.

Now it's all about the Atletico passing to see this out. However, Levante break through Barkero...

It comes to nothing. We'll have three minutes of time added on here. Into the first.

Levante try a late rally following a lovely Barkero backheel, but really they ran out of ideas long ago.

YELLOW CARD: Ballesteros goes into the book after Lell brought down Rodriguez. Not sure why, to be honest.

FULL-TIME! Atletico 2-0 Levante

Thanks for joining me for this one, I'm also on Valencia vs. Real Madrid, so please do switch over. See you there!

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Atletico striker Radamel Falcao scores a goal against Zaragoza on January 13, 2013
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4Villarreal137422521425
5Athletic Bilbao146532013723
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19Espanyol133191226-1410
20Real ValladolidValladolid142391027-179


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