Atletico Madrid scraped a 1-0 La Liga win at home to Real Valladolid on Saturday, thanks to a late header from super substitute Vitolo.
Atletico Madrid players celebrate the winning goal
Madrid: Following the result, Atletico moved to third in the standings. Vitolo cashed in on the poor positioning of Valladolid’s debutant goalkeeper Jose Antonio Caro to head the ball just over the line. Although it was headed away by a defender, a VAR review ratified the linesman’s decision to award the goal.
Playing for the first time without fans at the Wanda Metropolitano, Atletico lacked the fluidity it showed in its 5-0 thrashing at Osasuna and was fortunate not to go behind as Valladolid impressed in the opening half.
The victory took Atletico to 52 points after 30 games, level with fourth-placed Sevilla, but gave it a four-point cushion over fifth-placed Getafe, further boosting its chances of a top-four finish and Champions League qualification. Valladolid is 15th on 33 points, seven points above the relegation zone.
SATURDAY’S RESULTS
La Liga: Atletico Madrid 1 beat Real Valladolid 0; Getafe 1 drew with Eibar 1; Athletic Bilbao 1 beat Real Betis 0; Espanyol 1 lost to Levante 3.
Premier League: Bournemouth 0 lost to Crystal Palace 2; West Ham United 0 lost to Wolverhampton Wanderers 2; Brighton & Hove Albion 2 beat Arsenal 1; Watford 1 drew with Leicester City 1.
Bundesliga: Bayern Munich 3 beat Freiburg 1; Cologne 1 drew with Eintracht Frankfurt 1; Fortuna Dusseldorf 1 drew with Augsburg 1; Hertha Berlin 2 beat Bayer Leverkusen 0; Hoffenheim 4 beat Union Berlin 0; Mainz 3 beat Werder Bremen 1; Paderborn 1 lost to Borussia Monchengladbach 3; Leipzig 0 lost to Borussia Dortmund 2; Schalke 1 lost to Wolfsburg 4.
Playing for the first time without fans at the Wanda Metropolitano, Atletico lacked the fluidity it showed in its 5-0 thrashing at Osasuna and was fortunate not to go behind as Valladolid impressed in the opening half.
The victory took Atletico to 52 points after 30 games, level with fourth-placed Sevilla, but gave it a four-point cushion over fifth-placed Getafe, further boosting its chances of a top-four finish and Champions League qualification. Valladolid is 15th on 33 points, seven points above the relegation zone.
SATURDAY’S RESULTS
La Liga: Atletico Madrid 1 beat Real Valladolid 0; Getafe 1 drew with Eibar 1; Athletic Bilbao 1 beat Real Betis 0; Espanyol 1 lost to Levante 3.
Premier League: Bournemouth 0 lost to Crystal Palace 2; West Ham United 0 lost to Wolverhampton Wanderers 2; Brighton & Hove Albion 2 beat Arsenal 1; Watford 1 drew with Leicester City 1.
Bundesliga: Bayern Munich 3 beat Freiburg 1; Cologne 1 drew with Eintracht Frankfurt 1; Fortuna Dusseldorf 1 drew with Augsburg 1; Hertha Berlin 2 beat Bayer Leverkusen 0; Hoffenheim 4 beat Union Berlin 0; Mainz 3 beat Werder Bremen 1; Paderborn 1 lost to Borussia Monchengladbach 3; Leipzig 0 lost to Borussia Dortmund 2; Schalke 1 lost to Wolfsburg 4.