Soccer: Atletico ease to win over Levante

MADRID (Reuters) - Atletico Madrid forwards Angel Correa, Antoine Griezmann and Fernando Torres were all on target in a comfortable 3-0 win at home to Levante on Sunday which took the club back to within 11 points of runaway La Liga leaders Barcelona.

Correa lashed in the opening goal in the 33rd minute after a bursting run into the box by Spain forward Vitolo and Griezmann buried the ball in the top corner to score three minutes after halftime and double Atletico’s lead.

Torres was given a rousing reception when he came off the bench to replace Griezmann in the second half, making his first appearance at Atletico’s Wanda Metropolitano stadium since announcing he will leave the club at the end of the season.

The veteran striker got an even bigger cheer when he met Correa’s cross on the volley to score the third in the 77th, his 100th goal in La Liga.

“For me every game from now until the end is going to be like a party,” Torres told reporters.

“We saw how much the fans enjoyed it and that makes me more motivated. I hope it’s not my last goal of the season and not my last game.”

Atletico coach Diego Simeone said: “Fernando made a very important contribution today and so did everyone in the team.

“We scored three lovely goals and we played exactly how we needed to. Once again, given the small squad we have, we continue to respond in a spectacular way.”

Atletico are second in the standings on 71 points, 11 behind Barca and seven ahead of Real Madrid, who are fourth in the table but can climb above Valencia and into third if they win at basement club Malaga later on Sunday.

Levante had won three and drawn one of their last four games under new coach Paco Lopez to ease their fears of relegation but Deportivo La Coruna’s win over Athletic Bilbao on Saturday means they are now only five points above the drop zone.