Atletico keep pace with Barca
LA LIGA Simeone’s team thrashes Celta Vigo 30 to stay in second spot, eight points behind leaders
MADRID: Atletico Madrid recovered from their defeat by Barcelona in last week’s top-of-the-table clash by crushing Celta Vigo 3-0 at home in La Liga on Sunday to reduce the gap with the Catalans back down to eight points.
France forward Antoine Griezmann broke the deadlock a minute before halftime to move on to 16 league goals for the season and draw level with Celta forward Iago Aspas as the fourth top scorer in the top flight.
Griezmann then set up the second goal in the 54th with a pinpoint through ball to the feet of Spain international Vitolo, who scored his first Liga goal for Atletico since his move from Sevilla.
Angel Correa then replaced Vitolo from the bench and rounded off the scoring in the 63rd minute with a powerful run into the area before firing into the bottom corner. The effort left coach Diego Simeone exuberantly punching the air in celebration.
Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak returned to the team after a groin injury kept him out of the Europa League last-16 first leg win over Lokomotiv Moscow on Thursday. However, the Slovenian did not seem to be fully fit and was unable to take goal kicks.
Atletico are second in the standings on 64 points after 28 games while leaders Barcelona have 72 after winning 2-0 at Malaga on Saturday and third-placed Real Madrid have 57.
COUTINHO, SUAREZ ON TARGET FOR BARCA
MALAGA: Barcelona overcame the absence of Lionel Messi to win 2-0 at basement club Malaga on Saturday as goals from Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho sent the Catalans 11 points clear at the top of La Liga while Real Madrid left it late to win 2-1 at Eibar.
Messi missed a league game for the first time this season to attend the birth of his third son Ciro, but Barca barely needed their talisman against free-falling Malaga, who had striker Samu Garcia sent off after half an hour for a studs- up challenge on Jordi Alba.
Suarez headed home a looping cross from Alba to give Barca the lead in the 15th minute and his former Liverpool team mate Coutinho struck the second in the 28th with a backheel from close range after an impressive dribble from Ousmane Dembele.
Malaga were the last team to beat Barcelona in the league, derailing their title bid with a 2-0 win last April and they created two chances in the first half but could not test visiting goalkeeper Marc-andre ter Stegen.
Messi will return when Barca host Chelsea in a Champions League last-16 second leg game on Wednesday but captain Andres Iniesta is fighting to return from a hamstring injury.
“Leo is the best player in the world and we always need him,” Coutinho told reporters.
“We congratulate him and we are looking forward to having him back in the next game.
“We came here expecting a dif- ficult night but we managed to score early and with an extra man we were able to control the game.”
Dembele further earned the praise of coach Ernesto Valverde and his team mates after making the most of Messi’s absence with an inspired performance.
“Dembele is a brilliant player and today he demonstrated that,” Coutinho told reporters. “The move was perfect.”
“Today things went his way more than in other games but the good thing about him is that he always wants to take on opponents,” Barca coach Valverde said. “He tries to dribble and he also gives us an extra edge such as with the second goal today due to his ability to cut inside and give assists.” Griezmann 44 Vitolo 56 Correa 63 Stuani 21 Juanpe 57 Baptistao 51 Moreno 72 Barcelona Atletico Real Valencia Sevilla Jose 41 28 22 6 0 59 72 28 19 7 2 36 64 28 17 6 5 37 57 28 17 5 6 24 56 28 14 3 11 -6 45