Atletico Madrid fans barely had time to celebrate before their hearts jumped into their throats Sunday.
Diego Costa, Atletico Madrid’s star striker, sealed his team’s La Liga (Spanish first division)Â victory against Getafe with an 84th minute goal. However, Costa paid a heavy price for scoring: his physical well being.
Costa slid to redirect Adrian’s cross into the goal, but his momentum sent him crashing into the far post. The Brazil-born Spanish international writhed in agony before being stretchered off the field. Some feared Costa had suffered a devastating injury, which would rule him out of Atletico Madrid’s stretch run.
Costa, 25, suffered a deep cut to his left shin in the collision, but Atletico Madrid quickly reassured fans that their goal-scoring hero would be fine.
[tweet https://twitter.com/Atleti/status/455419556933025792 align=’center’]
“Luckily, Diego Costa only has a wound after hitting the post,” the tweet reads in English.
In his postgame press conference, Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone repeated the message using more vivid language.
“He is happy and well. One more cut does not do anything to this tiger,” Simeone said, according to the Press Association.
On Monday, Costa said he would be ready to go in Friday’s game against Elche.
Costa has scored 34 goals (in all competitions) this season, taking Atletico Madrid to dizzying heights. First-place Atletico Madrid leads Real Madrid and Barcelona in La Liga by three and four points respectively with only five games remaining. Atletico Madrid also progressed to the semifinal of the UEFA Champions League, where it will face Chelsea. Atletico Madrid will need its wounded tiger in the coming weeks if it is to achieve an unbelievable double.
See Costa’s goal and injury in the video below.
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