Griezmann shines in Atletico romp, Sevilla snatch win
Atletico Madrid produced one of their best performances of the season to defeat Real Valladolid 3-0 on Saturday, with Memphis Depay making his debut.
Real Sociedad, third, continued their fine form with a 2-0 win at Rayo Vallecano, while struggling Sevilla snatched a 1-0 win over Cadiz with a late Ivan Rakitic penalty.
Atletico’s new Dutch forward Depay, signed from Barcelona on Friday, came off the bench in the second half but by then Antoine Griezmann’s virtuoso display had the hosts in full control at the Metropolitano.
The French forward produced a sublime assist for Alvaro Morata to open the scoring and then struck the second himself.
Mario Hermoso netted the third from the rebound after his header from Griezmann’s freekick was parried back into his path.
Those three goals in an 11
minute spell in the first half wrapped up the points for fourthplaced Atletico.
Diego Simeone’s team have endured a tough season both in the league and also in Europe,
where they were eliminated, but earned a second win in seven league games to get heading back in the right direction.
On Thursday they face rivals Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey
quarter-finals, important both as a derby but also their last realistic chance of silverware this season.
“I’m very happy, very pleased with the team’s performance,” Griezmann told DAZN.
“We have been doing well since the World Cup, playing with intensity, hard work, having chances , but we lacked a goal.
“That was largely my fault, because I was having chances but couldn’t get it in. This goal will help me a lot mentally to get scoring again.”
The victory brings Atletico within 10 points of leaders Barcelona, albeit having played two extra games.
Real Sociedad beat Rayo Vallecano earlier Saturday to pull level on 38 points with Real Madrid.
Sevilla climbed out of the relegation zone with a tight win over 19th place Cadiz at the Ramon Sanchez-pizjuan. Their coach Jorge Sampaoli was sent off for dissent in the second half with the game goalless.
Sevilla had chances but could not convert them, until Rakitic slotted home from the penalty spot with two minutes to go.