Atletico Madrid have been knocked out of the Club World Cup despite a narrow 1-0 victory over Brazilian side Botafogo on Monday.
The Spanish club needed a convincing win in their final Group B match to stand a chance of progressing, having suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in their opening fixture.
Antoine Griezmann’s late strike in the 87th minute with a well-taken finish from a Julian Alvarez cross sealed the win, but it wasn’t enough to lift Diego Simeone’s men into the knockout stage. Both Atletico and Botafogo ended the group stage with six points, but the Brazilians advanced to the round of 16 thanks to a superior goal difference.
“We’re disappointed not to qualify despite earning six points,” said Simeone. “We won two matches and gave everything, but it simply wasn’t enough.”
Botafogo had earlier stunned PSG with a 1-0 win in their second group game, giving them the crucial edge in the standings.
In Monday’s match, Botafogo started brightly, with Jefferson Savarino testing Jan Oblak early on. Atletico gradually asserted control and nearly broke the deadlock before halftime when Alvarez appeared to be fouled in the box, but a VAR review overturned the decision due to an earlier foul.
In the second half, Atletico piled on the pressure, but Botafogo held firm. Igor Jesus nearly scored for the Brazilians in the 67th minute, forcing a fine save from Oblak. Griezmann’s late winner came too late to change Atletico’s fate.
Group B ended with PSG top on goal difference, followed by Botafogo. Atletico, despite finishing level on points, crash out.
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