Molina stunner sees Atleti edge local rivals Getafe to move into LaLiga's top three

[p]With [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/atl-madrid/jaarqpLQ/"]Atleti[/a]’s strong run of form, including three straight LaLiga victories, the Rojiblancos wasted little time in their plot for a fourth.[/p][p][b]In the eighth minute, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/getafe/dboeiWOt/"]Getafe[/a] failed to clear their lines, and the ball deflected into the path of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/molina-nahuel/M3TzoLot/"]Nahuel Molina[/a], who fired a rocket into the top-right corner from 25 yards out to send the Metropolitano faithful into raptures. [/b][/p][p]A man possessed, Molina could even have produced a similarly sumptuous strike 15 minutes later, seeing a low drive from distance at the end of a botched clearance from a corner only kept out by the quick thinking of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/soria-david/2VpTGXlE/"]David Soria[/a], who dived low to his left to deny him a first senior club-level brace.[/p][embed guid="80cb9d34-d5d6-460d-8593-0f538183dee6" url="https://x.com/atletienglish/status/2032843655732437412" social-type="twitter" /][p]There was precious little sign of any attacking endeavour from Getafe in response to falling behind, and with their hopes of a first away win in this fixture since May 2010 already looking very remote, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sorloth-alexander/QwqgNkTP/"]Alexander Sorloth[/a] nearly doubled Atleti’s lead.[/p][p]The Norwegian sparked the opportunity himself, playing a one-two with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/almada-thiago/CSKGShgi/"]Thiago Almada[/a] through the Getafe lines, allowing the Argentine to cross to the far post, only for Sorloth to head into the side netting.[/p][p]The second half was still in its fledgling stages when proceedings took a surreal turn, with an off-the-ball spat between [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/abqar-abdelkebir/Gp35on1c/"]Abdel Abqar[/a] and Sorloth resulting in the latter roughly throwing the Moroccan to the floor.[/p][p]A VAR review revealed Abqar to be the perpetrator, though, as he was seen to visibly squeeze Sorloth in a very provocative part of his body. In turn, Abqar was sent off, and Sorloth escaped with only a yellow card.[/p][p]But despite being down to 10 men, Getafe nearly channelled their anger in the best way possible, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vazquez-luis/pILm9siL/"]Luis Vazquez[/a] just narrowly heading wide at the end of a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/iglesias-juan/K0bkMuVF/"]Juan Iglesias[/a] cross.[/p][image alt="Key match stats" id="6343135f-2afd-44b3-bc85-e274b8951672" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="39914dde-f18f-4686-9135-14f2eadc7052" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]Although [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/baena-alex/bmeQTB92/"]Alex Baena[/a] then fired narrowly off target down at the other end, Getafe continued to up their efforts and nearly equalised 20 minutes from time.[/p][p]After his earlier heroics, Molina almost turned villain, as he failed to intercept a deadly through ball from Vazquez to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/arambarri-mauro/zHQB5zMa/"]Mauro Arambarri[/a], but with only the committed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/musso-juan/zB5O8dXn/"]Juan Musso[/a] to beat, he inexplicably fired over the bar.[/p][p]Musso had to be alert again not long after that, when thwarting a shot from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/milla-luis/jwhHdRF0/"]Luis Milla[/a], but Atleti still had plenty left in the tank, and nearly wrapped up the points on 82’. With a combination of a Soria save, a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/martin-mario/IXreUcCq/"]Mario Martin[/a] tackle, and a goalline block from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/duarte-domingos/bDpj7xEB/"]Domingos Duarte[/a] preventing Sorloth’s replacement, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alvarez-julian/bBHauDIC/"]Julian Alvarez[/a], from netting. [/p][p]With a man advantage, Atleti were able to revert to a less intensive game and pass around Getafe’s tiring players up to the final whistle, though there was still time for Musso to palm out a point-blank [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/liso-adrian/EPkF4hUA/"]Adrian Liso[/a] header in the sixth minute of nine added on.[/p][embed guid="2d843e49-7fa0-4f86-8489-f6e901fcfc9c" url="https://x.com/atletienglish/status/2032868910903488844" social-type="twitter" /][p]Although Atleti undeniably rode their luck at times in the second half, it will still take a near-unthinkable disaster for the Rojiblancos to finish outside the top four.[/p][p]Diego Simeone’s men have still lost just one home league game this term (W13, D1), while Getafe - who saw their unbeaten LaLiga away streak ended at four matches - can but hope for a favour from Betis against Celta Vigo tomorrow, as a victory for the latter would put Jose Bordalas’ European hopefuls eight points adrift of the top six.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/molina-nahuel/M3TzoLot/"]Nahuel Molina[/a] (Atletico Madrid)[/b][/p][image alt="Match momentum" id="643d1222-e340-4a9c-a42d-16749ecb047b" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="cfadf49d-a5c4-4ef8-914a-c55684340a9f" original-width="1920" original-height="1080" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/atl-madrid-jaarqpLQ/getafe-dboeiWOt/summary/stats/?mid=UmvXvwbD"]Catch up on the match stats here.[/a][/b][/p]