BC-SOC--Spanish Roundup

Print
Font Size:
Default font size
Larger font size

Posted: Sunday, January 28, 2018 12:04 pm | Updated: 12:31 pm, Sun Jan 28, 2018.

BC-SOC--Spanish Roundup Associated Press |

BC-SOC--Spanish Roundup,313

Atletico ends winless streak with 3-0 victory vs Las Palmas

Eds: APNewsNow. Will be updated.

Atletico Madrid ended its winless streak and moved closer to Spanish league leader Barcelona by defeating Las Palmas 3-0. Antoine Griezmann, Fernando Torres and substitute Thomas Partey scored second-half goals to move Atletico within eight points of Barcelona, which hosts Alaves later Sunday.

By TALES AZZONI

AP Sports Writer

MADRID (AP) — Atletico Madrid ended its winless streak and moved closer to Spanish league leader Barcelona by defeating Las Palmas 3-0 on Sunday.

Antoine Griezmann, Fernando Torres and substitute Thomas Partey scored second-half goals to move Atletico within eight points of Barcelona, which hosts Alaves later.

Atletico opened a six-point gap to third-place Valencia, which lost at home to Real Madrid on Saturday.

Atletico was coming off elimination against Sevilla in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals, and it hadn't won since a league game at Eibar two weeks ago.

Las Palmas, which had defeated Valencia at home in the previous round to snap a seven-match winless run, stayed second-to-last in the 20-team standings. It's one point ahead of bottom side Malaga.

———

LEGANES ON A RUN

Leganes kept its momentum after a shock 2-1 win at Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey by defeating Espanyol 3-2 at home.

Leganes eliminated Madrid in the Copa quarterfinals with the surprise victory at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Wednesday, then moved up the league standings on Sunday by taking advantage of a tough afternoon for Espanyol defender Mario Hermoso.

Hermoso scored two own-goals before finally finding the net for his own team late in the game at Butarque Stadium.

The 22-year-old Hermoso scored his first own-goal while trying to intercept a low cross inside the area in the 11th minute, giving the hosts a 1-0 lead. He did it again while trying to clear a cross in the 82nd, allowing Leganes to take a 3-1 advantage.

Hermoso partly made amends by scoring for Espanyol six minutes later as the ball careened off his face and went into the net after being punched away by goalkeeper Ivan Cuellar.

The result extended Espanyol's winless streak to three matches in all competitions.

Leganes reached 11th place.

———

More AP Spanish soccer coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/LaLiga

———

Tales Azzoni on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tazzoni

© 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.