Atletico de Madrid 3 : 1 Zaragoza - Atletico get back to winning ways

Posted Sunday, October 30, 2011 by PA

Atletico Madrid overcame Real Zaragoza 3-1 with a strong performance at the Estadio Vicente Calderon to end their winless run of seven games in all competitions.

Adrian scored a brace either side of Alvaro Dominguez's header before Atletico switched off and allowed Zaragoza to pull one back thanks to a Helder Postiga header.

The result will come as a big relief to Atletico coach Gregorio Manzano, who has been under increasing pressure to quit, especially after Thursday's 3-0 loss at Athletic Bilbao.

And despite Atletico's much improved performance, the home fans were still chanting for Manzano to go during the game.

Atletico have a good history against Zaragoza and have now won the last four league meetings, with tonight's result lifting the Madrid club to ninth, while Zaragoza fell to 15th.

There were early chances for both sides as Zaragoza midfielder Franco Zuculini blasted a 20-yard shot over the bar in the ninth minute, while Atletico counterpart Ribas Diego tested Jimenez Roberto with an inswinging corner, forcing him to punch it to safety.

Atletico then opened the scoring on the counter-attack in the 19th minute when Arda Turan's perfectly weighted cross picked out Adrian in the centre of area.

The midfielder was totally unmarked and leapt to head the ball past Roberto Gago.

Postiga missed two great chances to score for the visitors when his looping 30-yard shot missed the right-hand post before his powerful low strike was saved by Thibaut Courtois.

It was Atletico skipper Dominguez who found the back of the net next when Fernandez Gabi delivered a testing free-kick from the right wing which found Godin at the far post.

The defender headed the ball into the centre of goal where Dominguez nodded home from close range.

After the break, Zaragoza's Efrain Juarez fired a shot over the bar from six yards before Turan was caught offside at the other end to waste a great attack for Atletico.

However, Adrian did find the third when the referee played advantage, allowing Filipe Kasmirski to shrug off a challenge and race into the area where he cut the ball back to the midfielder for a simple finish.

Postiga pulled one back for the visitors four minutes later when he headed Luis Garcia's cross past Courtois but it was not enough.