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Spanish football giant, Atlético de Madrid, has secured their first three points of the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) club world cup after defeating their United States opponent, Seattle Sounders, 3-1 during second group stage match.
The result pulls the Rojiblancos even on points with the current champions league champion, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), but sits on the third position with the French club on the second on goals different while the Brazilian team, Botafogo, leads the Group B table with six points.
During the game played on Thursday, Pablo Barrios’ brace lifted Atlético Madrid to a 3-1 victory over the Seattle Sounders FC, getting the Spanish side’s Group B campaign back on track.
Axel Witsel also scored as Atlético rebounded to victory at Seattle’s home field after they began their FIFA Club World Cup campaign losing 4-0 to Paris Saint-Germain in Southern California.
Albert Rusnák scored after halftime for Seattle, which fell to the brink of elimination despite playing a second consecutive game before its home supporters.
The 22-year-old Barrios scored early in each half for the first brace of his senior club career with the first goal putting Atlético in front in the 11th minute to cap a furious start for the Spanish club.
Giuliano Simeone did much of the work, running onto a through ball into the right edge of the penalty area, cutting back to elude a defender and then dragging a low cross toward the penalty arc. Barrios met it in stride and hit a first-time, right-footed shot that rattled the underside of the crossbar on its way in.
Barrios’ second in the 55th minute was simpler, as he was permitted time and space to hit a half-volley past goalkeeper Stefan Frei after Seattle’s failure to clear Marcos Llorente’s long throw from the right.
Before halftime, Atlético had an apparent chance to double their lead from the penalty spot taken away after referee Yael Falcon Perez reversed his initial decision after a video review.
The sides then traded goals in the first five minutes of the second half. In the 47th, Witsel headed home from inside the 6-yard box in the resulting scramble after Frei pushed Llorente’s initial half-volley onto the crossbar.
In the 50th, Rusnak scored from a similar range on a deflected shot after Atletico’s failure to deal with Seattle’s initial ball into the box.
