It took nearly the entire second half, but relentless attacks on goal paid off for Antoine Griezmann in the 87th minute on Monday.
After teammate Angel Correa’s shot was blocked by a defender, Griezmann sent a left-footed shot into the net to lift Atletico Madrid to a 1-0 victory over Botafogo in Group B action of the FIFA Club World Cup in Pasadena, California
Unfortunately, it was not enough to send the Spaniards on to the knockout rounds as Atletico Madrid needed to book a victory of at least three goals to advance out of Group B. Paris Saint-Germain, which defeated the Seattle Sounders 2-0 on Monday, and Botafogo — which defeated PSG earlier this week — claimed the group’s top two spots.
In the 10th minute, Botafogo had a prime opportunity to strike first after a through ball to Jefferson Savarino gave the striker a run at goal. Atletico Madrid’s Jan Oblak, however, stretched out for a score-saving deflection.
Julian Alvarez nearly gave Atletico Madrid the lead just before the half. The forward collected an entry pass just outside the goal area, turned and whipped a right-footed blast, but his attempt was pulled wide to the left to keep the match in a scorelesss draw.
Early in the second half, Atletico again put the pressure on Botafogo with Griezmann settling a lofted ball down the left side and beating his defender along the goal line. Griezmann then attempted to sneak in a left-footed shot by the near post, but it caromed off the post and out of play.
In the 67th minute, Botafogo went on the offensive as Cuiabano lofted a cross into the box that Igor Jesus one-timed on goal. Again, Oblak was there to punch the attempt away to maintain a clean sheet.
Atletico had several chances to build upon its lead following the 87th-minute score from Griezmann, but Botafogo continued to deny the Spaniards.
Oblak finished with three saves for Atletico Madrid, which outshot Botafogo 23-7 (5-3 on goal). Botafogo’s John was credited with four saves.
Atletico Madrid earns 1-0 victory, but Botafogo advances out of Group B
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Atletico Madrid earns 1-0 victory, but Botafogo advances out of Group B
Turkiye orders arrest of 29 footballers in betting scandal
- Among the players, 27 are suspected of having bet on matches involving their own teams, prosecutors said
- One was Metehan Baltaci, who plays for reigning Turkish champions Galatasaray
ISTANBUL: Istanbul prosecutors on Friday ordered the arrest of 46 people, among them 29 football players, as part of a sprawling investigation into illegal betting on Turkish matches.
Among the players, 27 are suspected of having bet on matches involving their own teams, the public prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
One was Metehan Baltaci, who plays for reigning Turkish champions Galatasaray, it said. Earlier this month, he had been suspended for nine months over the betting scandal.
The investigation has rocked Turkish football, with six referees placed in pre-trial detention on November 10, along with the president of Eyupspor, a club in Turkiye’s top Super Lig division.
Prosecutors did not identify the other 26 players suspected of bets involving their own teams, but said Mert Hakan Yandas, who plays for Fenerbahce, another major Istanbul club, had placed bets through someone else’s account.
The prosecutor’s office said police had so far detained 35 of the 46 people named in the arrest order. Five were known to be currently abroad, it said.
- Zero goal attempts -
Two club presidents were among those targeted by the order for “attempting to influence the outcome” of a match between their two third-division teams in the 2023-2024 season, the statement said.
The match had caught the attention of investigators because neither side had even made one attempt to score a goal, Turkish media reported, with several newspapers saying that was where the entire investigation began.
Six other suspects, one of them a player, are accused of conspiring to influence the result of a second-division clash between Umraniyespor and Giresunspor in December 2023.
A first-division referee, the ex-president of second-division side Adana Demirspor, and a well-known football commentator and his wife were also targeted for “suspect financial transactions” in their bank accounts.
So far, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) — which has said it wants to “clean up” the beautiful game in Turkiye — has suspended more than 1,000 players, 25 of them from the Super Lig, with the sanctions ranging from 45 days to 12 months.
Only one was a foreign national — Konyaspor’s Senegalese winger Alassane Ndao, who was suspended for 12 months.
In October, the TFF suspended nearly 150 referees for betting on matches, all of whom have since been dismissed.
