In their first Spanish league rivalry on Sunday, Atlético Madrid defeated their opposition 3-1 to stop their impressive start to the season.
After six straight victories across all competitions this season, Madrid handed their city rivals their first loss with two goals from lvaro Morata and one from Antoine Griezmann. For the guests, Toni Kroos scored.
After six games, the outcome put Atlético five points ahead of sixth-placed Barcelona and Girona. On Saturday, the defending champion Barcelona outlasted Celta Vigo 3-2, and Girona defeated Mallorca 5-3.
After seven games, Madrid, who had won its previous five league contests, trailed third-placed Valencia by one point. In its other three games, Diego Simeone’s squad had won two and drawn one. It postponed its league match against Sevilla at the beginning of the month due to severe weather.
“We played a great match,” Simeone stated. “It doesn’t matter who the opponent is when the team gets its intensity back,” a team member said.
All three of Atlético’s goals at Wanda Metropolitano Stadium were headers. Griezmann scored in the 18th minute, while Morata scored in the fourth and 46th minutes. In the 35th minute, Kroos chipped a defender before scoring Madrid’s goal.
In the 44th minute, a score by Madrid was called back for offside.
“We didn’t start well, we didn’t defend well, and with 2-0, they defended well and took advantage of quick changes of possession,” stated Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti. They were superior in that regard.
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Vincius Jnior, who was ready to return from an injury but was benched from the team late due to a stomach ailment, was not someone Ancelotti could rely on.
Takefusa Kubo of Japan, a forward for Real Sociedad, scored the first goal for the home team in stoppage time as the hosts overcame Getafe 4-3. Villarreal and Rayo Vallecano drew 1-1 in the first half, with each team scoring a minute apart.
Additionally, on Sunday, 10-man Las Palmas defeated Granada 1-0 thanks to a stoppage-time goal from Kieran Rodriguez, and Real Betis and Cadiz drew 1-1 at home.