Costa scores again, sent off in 2nd game back at Atletico

The best and the worst of Diego Costa were on full display Saturday, when the Atletico Madrid striker was sent off after celebrating a goal that helped beat Getafe 2-0 in his second match back at the club.

Costa already had one booking for elbowing a Getafe player when he tapped in Atletico’s second goal in the 68th minute. But instead of embracing his teammates, he ran around the net and to the edge of the stands where he was hugged by thrilled fans, earning him a second booking.

The goal was Costa’s second in as many appearances since making his return to Atletico from Chelsea. He scored as a substitute on Wednesday to help it ease to a 4-0 victory at Lleida in the Copa del Rey’s round-of-16.

Far from reproaching Costa, Atletico coach Diego Simeone praised the player he hopes can lead the team to the same heights they reached in 2013 and 2014, when they won the Copa del Rey followed by the Spanish league title.

“Costa gives us intensity and power, and he inspires fear. You can feel it and see it,” Simeone said.

The victory allowed secondplace Atletico to move to within six points of Liga leader Barcelona, which hosts Levante on Sunday.

Despite not having played a match since June, Costa has shown no rust from his long layoff while waiting for Atletico’s yearlong ban on new players to expire last week.

Costa curled a shot onto the top of the net and went close to setting up Antoine Griezmann before the France forward assisted Angel Correa for the hosts’ opener in the 18th.

Besides providing added punch to Atletico’s attack, Costa also showed the same knack for rattling rivals with his aggressive attitude and physical play.

The Brazilian-born Spain striker had to be separated from Getafe’s Juan Cala when the two exchanged words after the halftime whistle, and he was booked for elbowing Dakonam Djene when they contested a ball in the 62nd.

Then came his goal, a cool sidefooted shot to slot Sime Vrsaljko’s low cross just into the post, followed by his excessive celebration.

“(Costa) is contagious, and he showed all that he is, scoring a goal and getting sent off,” Atletico midfielder Gabi Fernandez said. “Costa doesn’t have to adapt to us, he came ready to play. That’s why we wanted him.”

The derby at Atletico’s Wanda Metropolitano Stadium was a testy contest that featured 10 total bookings.

Costa’s sending-off means he will miss next round’s trip to Eibar.

Costa, 29, helped Chelsea win the English Premier league title last season before he fell out of favor with coach Antonio Conte.

23 arrested after fighting between Sevilla and Betis fans

Spanish authorities say that 23 people have been arrested for participating in a fight between fans of Sevilla and Real Betis hours before the teams play each other in a league match.

The emergency services for Sevilla said via Twitter on Saturday that police intervened to make the arrests of “at least 23 people.”

The City Council reported that all those detained were males between the ages of 20 and 30.

They add that the rival fan groups had arranged the meeting in order to fight.

The derby between Seville’s two teams is considered the most hotly disputed rivalry in Spain.

The fixture is perhaps the most passionate derby in La Liga as it divides the city of Seville in two.

Known as ‘ElGranDerbi’, the derby has been a massive fixture for the city since 1909.

The red half of the city reign supreme, over the green, and are unbeaten in their last eight meetings.

Sevilla have won 43 times from the 93 occasions they have met since the derby began, but the fixture is always hotly contested and engulfs the entire population of the fourth largest city in Spain.