The Madrid derby is just around the corner, and Atletico Madrid took a significant step towards being ready for the clash with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Celta Vigo in La Liga. The winning goal came in the 90th minute courtesy of Julián Álvarez, who poked home a cross from Antoine Griezmann, giving Diego Simeone’s team the win in Vigo.
“What matters are the three points,” said Álvarez, Atletico’s big-money summer signing, highlighting the importance of the win. “If it’s 1-0 or 5-0, what is important is to get the three points. We knew it was going to be a difficult match against Celta here.” The victory keeps Atletico within two points of second-placed Real Madrid ahead of their derby showdown at the Metropolitano Stadium on Sunday. Both teams are chasing the league leaders, Barcelona, who have enjoyed a perfect start to the season with seven wins in seven games.
Atletico struggled to create clear-cut scoring opportunities for most of the match. However, a moment of brilliance from Griezmann, who curled a left-footed cross into the box, allowed Álvarez to race past defenders and slot the ball into the net with his right foot. This was the 24-year-old Argentine forward’s second goal since joining Atletico from Manchester City.
Celta, who have lost four of their last five matches, had several opportunities to score throughout the game but were thwarted by the impressive Jan Oblak in the Atletico goal. Atletico were looking to bounce back from a 1-1 draw at Rayo Vallecano and had won their previous three matches across all competitions. After the derby at the Metropolitano, Simeone’s team will face Benfica in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Villarreal climbed to the top of the table with a 2-1 win over newly promoted Espanyol, coming back from a goal down to claim the victory. Ayoze Pérez scored twice, taking his season tally to six goals in seven matches, just one behind the league’s top scorer, Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski. The win was Villarreal’s fourth of the season, with their only loss being a heavy 5-1 defeat at home to Barcelona in the previous round.
The game was marred by an incident involving the referee, who was reportedly hit by an object thrown from the stands as he left the field after the final whistle.
In other La Liga action, bottom-placed Las Palmas drew 1-1 with Real Betis, extending their winless streak to seven matches. They haven’t won a league match in 21 games, dating back to last season when they narrowly avoided relegation. Alberto Moleiro put the home side in front in the ninth minute, but Giovani Lo Celso equalized for Betis in first-half stoppage time. Getafe is the only other team without a league win this season.
