Saul Niguez on Monday slotted home an 87th minute winner to help Atletico Madrid to a 2-1 win over Villarreal, taking his team fourth in La Liga.
Diego Simeone’s side capitalized on Athletic Bilbao’s defeat by La Liga leaders Real Madrid on Sunday to move back into the UEFA Champions League qualification places, even if they left it late.
Axel Witsel nodded Atletico ahead after nine minutes, but Alexander Sorloth pegged back the visitors soon after halftime of an entertaining clash.
Photo: Reuters
Substitute Saul decided an even game in the final stages less than five minutes after coming on.
Atletico moved two points clear of Athletic with eight matches remaining, still trailing third-placed Girona by seven points.
“[Saul] entered the game well and scored a great goal,” Simeone told Movistar. “I’ve put him on a bunch of times because I believe in him and I hope he can give us a lot.”
Simeone said his team still needed to improve to lock down Champions League qualification for next season.
“Athletic are having a very good season, Girona aren’t giving up, and we have to improve,” he coach. “Pace of play and intensity decide things, and we have to improve in that regard.”
Witsel drew first blood with a fine header from Rodrigo Riquelme’s corner, twisting his body to meet the ball at the near post and direct it looping home at the far.
The 35-year-old Belgian had only scored once before for Atletico, also against Villarreal in November last year.
Sorloth pulled Villarreal level five minutes into the second half with an accurate low finish from the edge of the penalty area.
Angel Correa flashed a shot narrowly off target and Alvaro Morata fired straight at Villarreal goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen, albeit from a wide angle, as Atletico scrambled to get back in front.
Jan Oblak saved a low deflected effort from Yerson Mosquera at the other end, with the game opening up.
Eventually, Saul stroked home from the edge of the penalty area soon after coming on from the bench, and although Atletico had to nervously wait out a video assistant referee check for a possible offside, the goal was given.
Villarreal came close to leveling deep in stoppage-time when Bertrand Traore’s cross evaded everyone and flew just past Oblak’s far post.
The defeat leaves Villarreal 10th in what has been an underwhelming season.
“I’m happy, more for the win than for the goal, it was important,” Witsel told Movistar.
“[Simeone] will want us to do better, but he’ll be very happy with the win,” he said.
BOOT TO FACE: Wilfried Singo said that his actions were not intentional, ‘but I was able to see afterwards that’ the ’keeper had a significant face injury Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday came from behind to extend their unbeaten start to the Ligue 1 season with a 4-2 win away against AS Monaco, but lost goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to a gruesome facial injury. The bloodied Italy international was left requiring 10 staples after sustaining lacerations to the right side of his face when he was caught by the studs of Monaco defender Wilfried Singo. “I don’t know if the referee was badly positioned, but VAR [video assistant referee] needed to intervene, you have to protect the players,” PSG captain Marquinhos said. “To not give a red in a situation like
Cheng Chen Chin-mei on Saturday beamed broadly as she hoisted a 35kg weightlifting bar to her waist, dropped it and waved confidently to the enthusiastic crowd in a competition in Taipei. Cheng Chen, 90, has been pumping iron since last year, encouraged by her granddaughter to take up the sport after she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. She credits the regimen with helping to fix her posture. Three generations of her family were among a couple of hundred people watching Cheng Chen and 44 others aged 70 or older in the weightlifting competition. In the three-round event, Cheng Chen lifted as much as
Zach LaVine on Thursday scored a season-high 36 points to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 117-108 upset victory against defending NBA champions the Boston Celtics, while LeBron James once again made history. LaVine went 11-of-19 from the floor and made six three-pointers while adding six rebounds and four assists for the Bulls, who improved to 13-15 for the season. “We’re a good team,” LaVine said. “We’re competitive and we’re a resilient group.” Ayo Dosunmu contributed 17 points for the Bulls, while Nikola Vucevic had 16 points and 14 rebounds for Chicago. The Bulls outscored Boston 35-22 in the fourth quarter to rally past
Teenage sensation Luke “The Nuke” Littler on Saturday set a tournament record with a 140.91 set average as he secured a second-round win in the PDC World Darts Championship with a 3-1 victory over fellow Englishman Ryan Meikle late. The 17-year-old came close to winning the World Championship in January, but lost in the final to Luke Humphries. Now, he has started the latest edition on a high note. Tournament favorite Littler fired in four maximum 180s, while winning three consecutive legs in 11, 10 and 11 darts, setting a record set average and finishing with an overall average of 100.85. “It was
RSS