Rodrigo puts a dampener on Atletico
MADRID: Atletico Madrid failed to get their La Liga title bid off to a winning start, as Rodrigo earned Valencia a 1-1 draw at the Mestalla Stadium on Monday.
Angel Correa gave Diego Simeone’s visitors a 26th-minute lead, but Rodrigo struck in the second half for the home team and last season’s runners-up Atletico failed to find a winner.
There are high hopes at the Wanda Metropolitano that Atletico can muster a serious title challenge, after keeping their key players in the close season and claiming an impressive extra-time win over city rivals Real Madrid in the Uefa Super Cup last week.
But they were given a tough test to start the campaign at a strong Valencia outfit who will be playing in the Champions League this season for the first time since 2015 after finishing fourth.
“It’s a shame because we wanted to bring the win home and we didn’t manage it,” the 23-year-old Correa, who also scored in Atletico’s opening league game 12 months ago against Girona, told BeIN Sports Spain.
“The effort we put in for the Super Cup isn’t an excuse for us, we know how to repeat that kind of effort. There is a long way to go before talking about it [the title], we must continue to work.”
Simeone gave a La Liga debut to Thomas Lemar, who joined from Monaco for €72 million in July, but the French World Cup winner struggled to make an impression and was hauled off in the 63rd minute.
“We proved that we’re at a very high level against a great opponent and even if there is still some way to go, that’s what we’ll need this season,” said Rodrigo.