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- Lokomotiv Moscow 1-1 Atletico Madrid: Joao Felix and Suarez out of luck as Russians hold on
Lokomotiv Moscow 1-1 Atletico Madrid: Joao Felix and Suarez out of luck as Russians hold on
Atletico Madrid piled pressure on Lokomotiv Moscow but could not find a winning goal, having earlier been rankled by a penalty decision.
Diego Simeone was left frustrated as Atletico Madrid were held 1-1 at Lokomotiv Moscow in the Champions League.
Atletico pushed hard throughout the second half for a winner, with Joao Felix, Koke and Luis Suarez threatening, and home goalkeeper Guilherme playing a blinder.
But the goal they were searching for proved elusive, when with a little more luck and a touch more precision they might have won by two or three.
The Spanish visitors had gone ahead early on thanks to a terrific header from Jose Gimenez before being frustrated to give away the penalty from which Anton Miranchuk tucked in the home side's equaliser midway through the first half.
Gimenez made the breakthrough in the 18th minute. Hector Herrera's cross from the left picked out the run into the penalty box by the Uruguayan, who leapt well before directing a header into the bottom-left corner.
Lokomotiv were awarded their penalty in the 22nd minute when a ball into the box brushed Herrera's right arm. Referee Benoit Bastien went to a VAR review before making a decision that angered Luis Suarez so greatly he was booked for his protests.
Miranchuk slotted into the left corner after a stuttering run-up, as Jan Oblak dived the other way.
Angel Correa struck the Lokomotiv crossbar with a 20-yard shot, before Suarez sent a volley too high, as Atletico looked to regain the lead.
Atletico came into this game, which was watched by around 8,000 spectators, after beginning their Group A campaign with a 4-0 defeat at Bayern Munich and a 3-2 victory over Salzburg.
Suarez threatened with a header from a tight angle early in the second half, before Joao Felix was denied a wondergoal by a fingertip save from Guilherme, his whipped 25-yard strike having been arrowing towards the top-right corner.
Joao Felix was denied again by the goalkeeper, touching over his powerful header, before Koke hit the bar, also with a thumping header. Suarez tapped in as the ball rebounded out but had strayed offside. It was not to be their night.