Atlético de Madrid beats Valencia and equals Barcelona in third place.
Embed from Getty Images
In La Liga action, Atlético de Madrid secured a significant victory at home against Valencia with a score of 2-0 in the 22nd round of matches.
This win propelled them to the third position in the league table, drawing level with Barcelona, who faced a surprising 5-3 defeat at the hands of Villarreal in the previous matchday.
Diego Simeone's team entered the game highly motivated, capitalizing on the opportunity to climb to the podium after Barcelona's loss. The match showcased a strong performance by Atlético de Madrid against Valencia.
Former Gil Vicente player Samuel Lino made a crucial contribution, opening the scoring with a goal at the 45+4-minute mark. Dutchman Memphis Depay, who has been in excellent form, extended the lead to 2-0 with a goal in the 57th minute. Valencia, who were missing key players like Thierry Correia and André Almeida due to injuries, failed to mount a response, and they currently hold the eighth position in the league with 32 points.
Atlético de Madrid now shares the same 44-point tally as Barcelona, and they also benefited from Athletic Bilbao's draw. Athletic Bilbao, currently in fourth place with 42 points and one more game played, dropped valuable points in a goalless draw against Cádiz. Despite this, both teams are still trailing the league leader, Girona, who have amassed 55 points with one additional match played, and Real Madrid, who are in second place with 54 points.
Girona managed to maintain their top position, despite having played one more match than Real Madrid. They secured a crucial victory against Celta Vigo, with Portu scoring the decisive goal in the 20th minute. This win placed Girona ahead in the race for the league title and pushed Celta Vigo perilously close to the relegation zone.
In another match, Athletic Bilbao struggled to break the deadlock against Cádiz, resulting in a goalless draw. This outcome saw Athletic Bilbao slipping to the fifth position in the league, as they lost crucial points in their pursuit of a higher standing.
Sevilla's recent poor form continued as they settled for a 1-1 draw against Osasuna, who currently occupy the 12th position in the league table. Sevilla, who haven't won a league match in over a month, now find themselves in 16th place, with just a single point separating them from the relegation zone.
