Botafogo secured a place in the Club World Cup last 16 despite a 1-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid.
Botafogo secured a place in the Club World Cup last 16 despite a 1-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid.
Botafogo could afford to lose by up to two goals to advance to the last 16. A draw would have guaranteed top spot in Group B for the side from Rio de Janeiro. But the defeat to Atletico Madrid, combined with PSG’s expected victory over the Seattle Sounders, pushed Renato Paiva’s side down to second place.
After a perfect performance against PSG, Botafogo were punished for their excessively defensive approach in the second half against Atletico Madrid. They sat deep, allowing the Spanish side to apply pressure and create numerous chances.
It is true that Botafogo also had great opportunities, with Savarino and Igor Jesus both going close, but Atletico Madrid kept Botafogo pinned back after the break and ultimately made them pay late in the match.
To make matters worse, highlighting once again the team’s defensive attitude, following Griezmann’s goal, Gregore received a yellow card for time-wasting and is now suspended for the last 16 of the Club World Cup.
Once again, Botafogo put in an intelligent display against European opposition. For spells in the first half, Glorioso even enjoyed more possession, particularly in the early stages.
However, it was Atletico Madrid who controlled most of the play, trying to increase the pressure on Botafogo. Despite that, the best chance of the first half fell to Glorioso. In the ninth minute, on a counterattack, Igor Jesus produced a superb pass to send Savarino through on goal, but Oblak made an excellent save.
After a bright start, Botafogo gradually allowed Atletico Madrid to take control following the cooling break. Still, the Spanish side struggled to create clear-cut chances. The referee even reviewed a possible penalty for a foul by Gregore on Álvarez, but a foul by Sorloth earlier in the move was given instead.
In the second half, still needing three goals to qualify, Atletico Madrid increased the pressure on Botafogo. But again, they created little danger for John’s goal. Their best opportunity came from a Sorloth header that flew just wide of the left-hand post.
Botafogo were pinned back in defence and only managed an attack in the 63rd minute after a good move from Cuiabano, who had just come on. The left-back surged forward and crossed for Igor Jesus, whose first-time shot forced another excellent save from Oblak.
In the end, Botafogo were punished for their defensive approach. In the 86th minute, after intense Atletico pressure, Julián Álvarez beat Mateo Ponte and delivered a cross into the box, where Griezmann, completely unmarked, scored the goal that relegated Botafogo to second place in the group. Gregore later received a yellow card for time-wasting, ruling him out of the last 16.
