Dramatic Victory and Six Points Free for Atletico Madrid

PASADENA, MONDAY — Usually, a total of six points is sufficient for a club to advance from the group stage. However, this was not the case for Atletico Madrid in the highly competitive Group B of the 2025 Club World Cup. Atletico was eliminated from the tournament due to a goal difference.

Atletico concluded their final group stage match with a victory over Brazilian representative Botafogo, winning 1-0 at the Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, on Tuesday (24/6/2025 WIB). Rather than benefiting their own team, this victory turned out to be a blessing for another competitor in the group, namely Paris Saint-Germain.

PSG emerged as the group champion after winning 2-0 against the host Seattle Sounders at Lunen Field Stadium, at the same time. Although they had previously lost to Botafogo, they still finished at the top of the group with a total of six points. PSG, with a goal surplus of five, surpassed Botafogo in second place, which had a goal surplus of one.

Atletico also collected six points, but they recorded the worst goal difference among the other two teams, with a deficit of one goal. The team coached by Diego Simeone failed to accomplish the mission of winning by at least three goals against Botafogo. In fact, if they had been able to do that, they would have qualified directly for the round of 16.

Veteran striker Antoine Griezmann's solitary goal was not enough to see Atletico through. "We go home frustrated because we didn't qualify. Getting six points in the group is not bad. We were eliminated because of the game against PSG (losing 0-4). That result hurt us a lot," Simeone told AS.

Atletico dominated Botafogo for nearly the entire match. They continuously besieged the opponent's half of the field. However, Botafogo's low defensive block made it very difficult for Griezmann and his teammates. It was evident that Atletico's opening goal only came in the 87th minute.

Simeone employed a 4-4-2 formation from the outset with the striking duo of Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth. They appeared dangerous with their combination from both flanks, supported by wing-backs Marcos Llorente and Javi Galan. However, time and again, the crosses failed to find their target.

Botafogo, on paper, deployed a 4-3-3 formation. This scheme can change on the field, depending on the situation. For instance, when facing the onslaught from Atletico, Botafogo could stack seven players simultaneously in the penalty area. This accumulation of players made it very difficult for Atletico.

Atletico produced 23 shots, but only five were on target. They made more speculative attempts as the ball often stopped before reaching the dangerous area of the penalty box. Botafogo's central defender Alexander Barboza played solidly in disrupting the opponent's attacks.

After the halftime break, Atletico's attack improved significantly. Simeone added offensive players. Griezmann came on to replace midfielder Conor Gallagher. Griezmann's creativity and off-the-ball movement often overwhelmed the opposing defenders.

Botafogo only produced seven shots with three on target. Nevertheless, that small number of opportunities was far more dangerous compared to all the threats from Atletico. Forward Igor Jesus repeatedly posed a threat during transition situations. Fortunately, Atletico had goalkeeper Jan Oblak in goal.

Like when facing PSG, the Botafogo squad never hesitated to engage physically. The team, coached by Renato Paiva, played quite aggressively in thwarting Atletico's attackers. Several incidents occurred in the penalty area. Atletico repeatedly requested a penalty, but the referee did not grant it.

At the end of the first half, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) briefly halted the match. Sorloth appeared to have been fouled in the penalty area. However, after a lengthy review, the main referee Cesar Palazuelos awarded a free kick to Botafogo instead. Sorloth was deemed to have fouled his opponent first.

"If we could have gotten that penalty and scored a goal, everything would have been easier in the second half. The match was very complicated as we were still tied at halftime. In the end, it was the referee's decision," said Oblak, who made three great saves.

Botafogo's advancement from the group of death, which included two major European teams, is quite surprising. They have proven that, especially after defeating PSG, teams from South America should not be underestimated. Botafogo will face the group A champion in the round of 16, namely Palmeiras.

"Many people doubted whether we would succeed. We proved that our squad has quality. Now we must continue to work to correct the mistakes we made in this match so that they do not happen again in the next round," explained Jesus.

Meanwhile, PSG managed to win without significant difficulties thanks to goals from winger Kvicha Kvaratskhelia and wing-back Achraf Hakimi. Unlike the match against Botafogo, coach Luis Enrique once again fielded the best squad in this decisive game. (AP/REUTERS)