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Sep 30, 2017 at 7.45pm UK
 
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Live Commentary: Leganes 0-0 Atletico Madrid - as it happened

:Headline: Live Commentary: Leganes 0-0 Atletico Madrid - as it happened: ID:308502: from db_amp
Relive Sports Mole's live coverage as domestically unbeaten Atletico Madrid made the visit to in-form Leganes in La Liga.

Leganes welcomed Atletico Madrid to the Estadio Municipal de Butarque on Saturday evening with Diego Simeone's charges still unbeaten in La Liga.

A change in formation left the visitors lacking in all departments away from home, and they were lucky to escape an embarrassing defeat on the road after a lacklustre showing against Asier Garitano's men.

Relive all of the action with our minute-by-minute updates below.

Good evening everyone and thank you for joining us as we bring you live coverage of Atletico Madrid's visit to Leganes in La Liga this evening.
Diego Simeone's charges come into this fixture having enjoyed an unbeaten start to the new domestic campaign. Atletico find themselves sitting in third place in the league standings behind Barcelona and Sevilla, the latter who have now played one game more than Madrid.
A promising start to the new campaign was slightly damped during midweek, when Atletico suffered their first-ever defeat at the new Wanda Metropolitano stadium having lost 2-1 to Chelsea in the Champions League. Simeone will be hoping that his side can get straight back to winning ways here, especially considering their clash with Barcelona that is looming straight after the international break.
This is only the second season in which Leganes have operated in La Liga, the first coming in last year's campaign. The club have already made some impressive strides having survived last term. The club already has three league wins under its belt this season, and Leganes come into this clash having beaten Las Palmas 2-0 impressively in their last fixture.
Much of the club's early-season success this term has been in part down to a mean defensive record. Leganes have conceded just three goals in six games. That record measures up as the second best tally alongside Sevilla, with both sides behind only Barcelona when it comes to goals shipped.
Time for some team news now...
LEGANES STARTING XI: Cuellar; Zaldua, dos Santos, Siovas, Garcia; Perez, Brasanac, Eraso, Gabriel, Szymanowski; Beauvue
LEGANES SUBSTITUTES: Amrabat, Bustinza, Champagne, El Zhar, Gumbau, Naranjo, Rico
ATLETICO MADRID STARTING XI: Oblak; Godin, Savic, Gimenez; Gabi, Thomas, Saul, Correa, Koke; Vietto, Griezmann
ATLETICO MADRID SUBSTITUTES: Carrasco, Gaitan, Gameiro, Moya, Torres, Juanfran, Vrsaljko
So no major news for either side, as both managers opt for what are arguably their strongest starting XIs at the moment. Antoine Griezmann and Luciano Vietto continue up top, with further attacking support provided by Koke, Angel Correa and Saul. As for the visitors, Darko Brasanac and Javier Eraso both get the nod after an impressive start to the season, while Martin Mantovani and Dimitrios Siovas do the same at the back.
Leganes have kept back-to-back cleansheets in their last two La Liga outings. It has been going forward that has caused more problems, though. Tonight's hosts have scored just five goals in six games this term, with two of their three wins coming by the way of one-goal margins.
Atletico have been entirely more proficient in front of goal, having registered 12 times across their opening six games. Should Leganes want to take anything away from this fixture then Dimitris Siovas and his defensive colleagues are going to have to put a significant shift in this evening.
Despite only playing in La Liga for their second time, Leganes have met Atletico on a fair few occasions from their respective times competing in the Segunda Division. It was the last time the two sides met in that league that Leganes were able to record their only win in seven against Atletico when they pulled off a memorable 2-0 at the Vicente Calderon.
Here's a quick snap of some of the Atletico players arriving a little earlier this evening. We have just over 30 minutes until kickoff now:
Away games have proven to be rather favourable for Simeone and his men. Atletico are actually unbeaten in their last 15 trips on the road in La Liga.
It will be intriguing to examine how Atletico bounce back from Wednesday's defeat to Chelsea in the Champions League. Simeone and company were good value for a point right up until the death. You wonder if any of the sentimentality of losing their first-ever game at the new stadium will have any baring on the outcome of this game. Probably not know Atletico, who are often as efficient a footballing club that you'll ever find.
Regardless of their troubles going forward, Leganes do have the abilities of Alex Szymanowski to call upon in the final third. The playmaker has proved to be a vital component in the club's wins already this season. In fact, he provided the assists for both of the goals in the club's 2-0 win over Las Palmas last weekend.
Simeone will be hoping for a response from his side after the Chelsea defeat. His criticisms were rather clear when speaking in his post-match outing for the press: "They were better tactically, technically, physically, with intensity. You must congratulate a team who played as Chelsea did today. A draw was good for us, they had patience in the last play to move the ball very well and end the game very well for them."
Leganes will need to be wary of Atletico in the latter stages of the game tonight. Simeone's charges have been drawing at half time and winning at full time in their last three matches in the league.
PREDICTION! With just under 15 minutes to go, it is time to make a prediction. Both sides have enjoyed positive starts to the new term, but Atletico are quite clearly favourites even away from home. There is surely just too much talent and firepower in this Atletico side for them to struggle on the road. Leganes will make things difficult for them, but Atletico will likely win out. I'm backing the visitors to win 2-0 away from home.
Added to that talent going forward, when looking at the history between these two derby rivals, Atletico have kept a clean sheet in five of their previous seven fixtures against Leganes across all competitions.
The Estadio Municipal de Butarque is starting to fill up nicely now and we can expect a vibrant atmosphere here for what is often a classic rival match-up between these two clubs.
So here we go, referee Jesus Gil Manzano leads the players out onto the pitch as we await the start of the contest. Win tonight and Atletico will return to second place above Sevilla.
KICKOFF! The away side get things going after an initial false start. Atletico are in red and white, while the hosts feature in white and blue.
It's an enthusiastic start from the visitors who push the ball forward at pace into the path of Vietto, who has a go from range in order to earn a corner. The ball into the box is a clever one, although Gimenez makes a mess of things as the defender tries to bundle the ball home at the back post.
It looks already like the humbling defeat to Chelsea has given Simeone food for thought. By the looks of things, Atletico are playing with three centre-backs, four midfielders and three strikers. Antonio Conte eat your heart out!
The hosts have dominated the opening stages and look comfortable on the ball away from home. Nothing much to report in the way of chances apart from Gimenez's early blunder.
The midfield is appearing rather congested in these opening moments, but Atletico have thus far had the adroitness to move the ball about in amongst the throng. Lots of neat exchanges in the middle but little on offer going forward for either side.
Griezmann is having to come far too deep at the moment to get on the ball. Some good hold up play sees Madrid in with a shout on the edge of the area, but too much tinkering sees Leganes eventually clear their lines.
The home side find themselves with space inside the Atletico half and Perez has suitable options ahead of him. Instead of looking for the pass, though, the midfielder tries his luck from range only to blaze high and wide of the goal.
The away side finally get the chance to start stretching the hosts and that allows Gimenez both time and space to pick out a cross into the box. Griezmann is lurking inside the area, but the delivery is a poor one and Siovas heads clear without too much trouble.
Much better from Atletico now as Correa produces a great turn of pace to almost a steal a yard beyond the defence, only for Zaldua to get back in the nick of time. The visitors are slowly starting to warmup in the final third.
CLOSE! Excellent stuff from Leganes now as they look to stretch the back-three of Atletico. Gimenez gets dragged out wide before the ball is squared back into the middle for the run of Beauvue. The striker meets it with a good shot despite pressure from Godin, although the ball flashes just wide of Oblak's goal.
In some ways this has been a rather average start for Atletico. They do not appear to be anywhere near their cohesive best in the final third, this time as Thomas holds on for far too long before threading Griezman who is then flagged for an embarrassing offside. Having said that, Madrid do often take their time to grow into matches.
You wonder if this new system is hampering the visitors here. Atletico have produced almost nothing in the final third and both Griezmann and Vietto are beginning to look a touch frustrated.
Saul comes into the game now having been afforded time in the middle. The playmaker picks out a good ball over the top to meet the run of Vietto, but there is just too much on the pass and the striker cannot bring the ball down in time to test Cuellar.
SAVE! Will Simeone stick with this system in the second half? It seems like Madrid are stifling themselves. Almost a moment of brilliance from Saul, though, who winds up from distance to release a shot that flies through bodies and is somehow kept out down low by a diving Cuellar.
Vietto springs a strong turn of pace to leave two defenders in his wake, but he only has Griezmann to aim for in the area and the striker is eventually crowded out by a retreating Siovas at the back. This has been a real stinker in an attacking sense for the away side.
Simeone is losing his cool on the touchline and he arguably has every right to be angry. Leganes have offered nothing either to be honest, but his side are way off their best at the moment.
There's no doubt things will be better after the break, nothing can be worse than this spectacle! The introduction of Torres at some point could be a viable way out of this mess. Despite having all of the ball, there are just no options on beyond Griezmann dropping deep for Atletico.
HALF TIME: LEGANES 0-0 ATLETICO MADRID
And for the sanity of everybody involved, the referee blows for half time. Atletico have had all of the ball but have failed to do anything with it. The switch in system clearly hasn't helped at Atletico and they look bereft of ideas going forward.
Leganes have hardly been a force of nature either, but they have done all that has been required to keep a tepid Madrid at bay in the first half. It is a toss up between Saul's driven effort and Beauvue's shot as the major chance of the first half, but that has been about it. Expect to see changes from Simeone at half time, either in terms of his system or personnel.
Madrid fans will be hoping that their much-lauded form in the second halves of games will be enough to save them this evening. It will only likely take the one goal for the visitors to get something from this game and perhaps a change in formation could solve things. The away side also have more than enough options on the bench too.
SECOND HALF! Leganes get things moving again in the second period. No changes for Atletico!
The early indictions suggest that Simeone has persisted with the same formation too. Let's hope he has given his charges some new instructions, though...
YELLOW CARD! Madrid turn on the style with a wonderful counter from a Leganes corner. It looks like Griezmann might just have the pace to beat Perez, who eventually pulls his competitor down before receiving a yellow card.
The resulting free kick gives Koke the chance to load something into the middle, but the ball is lacklustre and Cuellar comes out to together unchallenged.
We are seeing much the same pattern from the first half at the home. Leganes are compressing the game well and marking most of Atletico's options out of the game. The visitors look flat.
SAVE! And the away side almost come undone... The ball is moved down the right flank and is soon fed into the path of El Zhar in the middle of the box. The substitute opens up his body for the shot, but Oblak is equal to the effort.
SUBSTITUTE: Simeone has had enough and opts to bring on Carrasco at the expense of Correa. Could we see a slight switch in system now?
And still Atletico labour to find a way into the match. They've again had plenty of the ball but appear unable to create anything of particular danger. Torres is warming up on the sidelines and you would expect him to be introduced soon enough.
SAVE! Atletico need to be careful... A wonderful move down the left sees the ball squared back to Beauvue inside the box, and the striker decides to dummy and allow play to run through to El Zhar. The substitute produces a thunderous first-time strike, which Oblak tips away from the top corner.
SUBSTITUTE: Another change then for the visiting side as Vietto is replaced by Torres in attack.
Carrasco's entrance has just started to see the game become stretched on the flanks. The winger almost has the beating of Zaldua, only to lose possession at the vital moment with Griezmann lurking inside the box.
SUBSTITUTION: Perhaps the best bit of entertainment from the night: Simeone opts to remove Griezmann as full-back Sime Vrsaljko is introduced. Very, very strange from the Madrid coach as the visitors aim to find a vital goal in this contest.
If this stalemate continues, Leganes might just fancy themselves to secure all three points in the final 20 minutes of the encounter. The home side have arguably had the better of the chances thus far. This is utterly perplexing from Atletico. It is like watching an entirely different side.
SAVE! Almost a piece of brilliance to separate the sides. A hopeful ball is swung in by Atletico on the right, leaving Godin to produce a memorable header that almost does for Leganes, but for a diving Cuellar who parries the ball away down low.
SUBSTITUTE: The home side make a change for themselves as Pires is replaced by Gumbau.
Efficient passing from the home side sees the ball break kindly out wide for dos Santos to deliver into the box, but his cross is poor and Atletico clear for a corner. The visitors win a cheap free kick after the set piece and are able to reorganise.
We are into the final 10 minutes here with nothing to separate the sides. Atletico have had all of the ball in the last few minutes, but as has been the story all night, they have been unable to create something worthy of opening the scoring.
Saul has arguably been the most impressive of the Madrid men tonight and that has not been difficult. The midfielder breaks into the box with impressive effort, only to see his shot deflected wide for a corner. The resulting set-piece is unsurprisingly dreadful and Leganes head clear without bother.
CHANCE! Almost a winner at the death for the home side as substitute Amrabat pushes free down the left flank. He is able to pick out El Zhar, although Oblak gets a hand to the ball before the striker can make any decent contact.
Three minutes of added time...
FULL TIME: LEGANES 0-0 ATLETICO MADRID
So the referee calls time on an abject showing from Atletico, who failed to improve in the second half despite a whole host of changes from Simeone. Usually a side like Leganes would be delighted with a point against Atleti, but the home side arguably deserved to take all three points here. That is going to be all from me tonight, thank you for joining us!

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