MADRID (AP) — Atletico Madrid ended their poor run of results in dramatic fashion on Saturday, scoring twice in stoppage time to rally from a two-goal deficit to beat Valencia 3-2 in the league. Spanish.
The victory ended a three-game winless streak that included elimination from the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup and increased the pressure on manager Diego Simeone. It was only Atlético’s second win in their last seven league games.
The result gives the team – and the coach – a much-needed boost and leaves the defending champions four points behind third-place Real Betis with a game in hand. However, Atlético is still far from the top, as leaders Real Madrid are 13 points ahead.
Valencia opened up a two-goal lead in the first half, but Atlético pulled one back with a Matheus Cunha goal shortly after half-time before Ángel Correa and Mario Hermoso scored two minutes apart at the start of stoppage time. Hermoso’s goal came with the player just inside the game after a shot by Cunha.
“It was crazy from the beginning,” Correa said. “We are happy to have found a way to come back against such a difficult opponent.”
American midfielder Yunus Musah gave Valencia the early lead in a breakaway in the 20th for his first league goal since 2020. The 19-year-old Musah’s other two goals this season had come in the Copa del Rey. Hugo Duro increased Valencia’s lead just before the break.
Simeone’s team came from consecutive defeats against Athletic Bilbao in the semifinals of the Spanish Super Cup and against Real Sociedad in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey.
The crowd at the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano supported Simeone by chanting his name early in the match, but there was some jeering when he replaced striker João Félix with defender Felipe early in the second half.
Valencia, winless in four consecutive league games, fell to ninth place.
Barcelona, 17 points off the lead in seventh place, plays on Sunday against Alavés, threatened by relegation.
STATIONS OF SEVILLE
Second-place Sevilla missed another chance to get closer to Madrid after Celta de Vigo drew 2-2 at home.
Sevilla came from behind with two second-half goals to save a point, their second successive draw after failing to overcome Valencia in the previous round.
Julen Lopetegui’s team could have come within a point of Madrid, which faces Elche on Sunday at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
“The feeling is that if we had five more minutes, maybe we could have earned the victory,” Sevilla midfielder Papu Gómez said. “The team showed character and personality. We were close to victory.”
The setbacks have allowed third-placed Real Betis to close their own gap to six points with city rivals Sevilla. Betis beat Espanyol 4-1 on Friday.
Celta, who were looking for their second successive win, sit in 11th place. They had won three of their last four games.
“We had victory in our hands,” said Franco Cervi. “We left with a single point when we had all three insured.”
The visitors took a 2-0 lead with goals from Cervi in the 37th minute and Iago Aspas in the 40th minute. Sevilla tied with Gómez scoring in the 71st and Óliver Torres in the 74th.
The hosts came close to victory when Torres’ attempt from close range hit the post in the 81st minute.
The draw extended Sevilla’s unbeaten streak to eight consecutive league games, with five wins and three draws. Sevilla’s only league title came in 1945-46.
OTHER RESULTS
Cádiz won 2-0 at bottom side Levante to end a seven-match winless streak and move closer to escaping the relegation zone.
Villarreal beat Mallorca 3-0 at home as they chase a European qualification spot.
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George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism