Superb Falcao proves Europa League hitman again

Falcao who also became the first player to win successive Europa LeagueUEFA Cups with different sides having scored the winning goal for Porto last term scored a brilliant firsthalf double to take his tally for this season39s competition to 12 Brazilian attacking midfielder Diego who missed the 2009 final for Werder Bremen against winners Shakhtar Donetsk because he was suspended added a third late in the secondhalf to give Argentinian coach Diego Simeone a trophy just months after he took over the hotseat Atletico39s victory also saw them break Barcelona39s record of successive wins in European competition as they recorded their 12th to break the record of 11 set in the 200203 Champions League campaign Falcao named after the great Brazilian footballer of the 1982 and 1986 World Cup teams said he was especially pleased because peopel had advised him not to go to Atletico Radamel Falcao Photo AFP quotI cannot contain my joyquot said the 26yearold quotAfter all that has been said like that I made a mistake in going to Atletico I showed them it was no mistake quotWe had highs and lows but we deserved to finish as we have done The first goal I didn39t have an angle so I simply looked for some space quotThey told me to look for the far post from time to time and this time I listenedquot he said with a smile quotAs for my future well we don39t know whether Atletico will play in the Champions League or Europa League next season quotWe still have a possibility of the Champions League and we are determined to achieve thatquot Simeone who was a hard tackling midfielder who won over 100 caps paid tribute to his players quotWinning is always marvellous but you enjoy it more as a player because one is on the pitch one can scream run do a lap of honourquot said the 42yearold quotWhen you are a coach you leave that sort of thing to the players I am proud of the players happy for the fans and thank those who brought me to the club in Decemberquot Athletic Bilbao39s coach Marcelo Bielsa took responsiblity for the defeat quotI am disappointed we did not play a good matchquot said the former Argentina coach who guided the Argentinians to the 2004 Olympic title quotI am in charge of the strategy of the squad who failed to achieve its objective which makes the disappointment even greater quotAtletico deserved their win but the scale of it was excessive quotThe feeling of personal responsiblity increases in the sense that the difference in quality of the two teams is not the one shown tonightquot added Bielsa who coached Simeone when he was in charge of the national side Falcao opened the scoring on seven minutes with a spectacular goal taking the ball down the right and then into the box and as defender Fernando Amorebieta slipped he curled the ball round three defenders and the keeper from the edge of the box for his 11th goal in 15 Europa League games this season Bilbao39s far younger side an average age of under 24 took a while to settle but gradually started to make more of an impact Their leading striker Fernando Llorente scorer of 29 goals this term had missed with an early header when he was not helped by being shoved in the back but he should have done better in the 19th minute Found brilliantly in the box he only had Belgian youngster Thibault Courtois to beat but his usual sure touch let him down and his shot skimmed off his boot and wide Falcao though was unstoppable at the other end and his second stemmed from the hapless Amorebieta being dispossessed as he tried foolishly to dribble it away from the box Turkish playmaker Ardi Turan found the Colombian who completely fooled centreback Javi Martinez sending him the wrong way as he went the other before curling the ball into the top far left corner to double Atletico39s lead The two sides were more evenly matched in the opening 15 minutes of the secondhalf with Diego going close for Atletico but finding the side netting while Inigo Perez forced a good tip over the bar from 19yearold Courtois Athletic kept pressing but clear chances were rare though Gomez Ibai had some Atletico fans hearts beating faster with his volley from outside the area which just cleared the bar with 20 minutes remaining Markel Susaseta went even closer as the ball pingponged round the Atletico area and the ball fell to him unmarked five yards out from goal but with just Courtois to beat the 39keeper on loan from Chelsea produced a great block with his legs Diego though sealed the win for Atletico with a fine solo goal with five minutes remaining breaking through a weak tackle by the demoralised Amorebieta and firing home from the edge of the area