JamzNG Latest News, Gist, Entertainment in Nigeria
Atletico Madrid provisionally moved top of the Spanish La Liga table on Saturday after claiming a 2-0 win over Levante away from home.
Goals from Alejandro Grimaldo and Giuliano Simeone secured victory for Diego Simeone’s men, extending their league winning streak to seven consecutive matches.
The result put Atletico one point ahead of Barcelona, who were due to host Alaves later on Saturday, putting pressure on the reigning champions after their first league defeat to arch-rivals Real Madrid last weekend.
Grimaldo and Giuliano give Atletico the victory
Atletico began the match against Levante threateningly with Dani Requena forcing goalkeeper Jan Oblak into an impressive early save.
The visitors thought they had the lead when Morten Hjulmand found the net after an assist from Alex Baena. However, a review by the Video Assistant Referee ruled out the offside attempt.
Atletico eventually broke the deadlock with Grimaldo, who took advantage of a poorly defended pass from Baena to fire the ball high into the net at the near post.
Levante struggled to contain Atletico after the restart, with Lee Kang-in hitting the crossbar early in the second half as the visitors searched for another goal.
Giuliano Simeone eventually doubled Atletico’s lead after being played through by Baena, before calmly turning the chance into the team’s second goal.
Oblak also produced another important save to deny Karl Etta Eyong and prevent Levante from reducing the deficit.
Simeone praises the players after a historic achievement
Speaking after the match, Atletico coach Diego Simeone expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance but warned that the season is still far from over.
“I’m very happy with the team’s work,” Simeone told Movistar.
“We are a long way from the end of the season… we will move forward game by game.”
The victory also saw Simeone record his 344th La Liga victory as Atletico manager, equaling the club record previously set by Luis Aragones.
However, the Argentine played down the personal significance of the result, giving credit to his players and all those who have worked with him since he took charge of the club in 2011.
“I don’t feel it’s very much mine, but it belongs to my players, to all those who have been with me for many years,” he said.
Atletico will face Bayern, then Barcelona
Atletico will turn their attention to the UEFA Champions League, where they host Bayern Munich on Tuesday.
They will then welcome Barcelona to the Estadio Metropolitano next weekend in another important La Liga match.
Meanwhile, third-placed Real Madrid face Racing Santander on Sunday as their Spanish title race continues to gather momentum.
The win over Levante gives Atletico a temporary lead at the top, with Barcelona having the opportunity to regain top place against Alaves.
