(Reuters) – Antoine Griezmann scored a header to help Atletico Madrid secure a 1-0 victory against Mallorca on Sunday. This win propelled Atletico to third place in the LaLiga standings despite delivering an unimpressive performance.
Diego Simeone’s team is currently tied on 31 points with fourth-placed Barcelona, but they have a game in hand over the reigning champions from last season.
In a surprising turn of events, Girona are currently leading the LaLiga table with 34 points, putting them two points ahead of second-placed Real Madrid.
Atletico maintained control of possession throughout the match, but they struggled to make an impact in attack. The standout player for Atletico was left back Samuel Lino, who consistently surged up and down the wing. However, his efforts were often in vain as his teammates squandered multiple scoring opportunities.
One of Atletico’s best chances came early on when Angel Correa missed a golden opportunity after Lino managed to outmaneuver three defenders and set him up for a shot. However, Correa’s attempt went over the bar from the penalty spot.
In the second half, the hosts showed improvement, but Alvaro Morata missed two crucial opportunities from close range.
It wasn’t until the 64th minute that Atletico finally broke the deadlock. Centre back Mario Hermoso made a decisive run up the left channel and delivered a cross to Griezmann, who managed to score with a powerful header that found the top right corner of the net.
This goal marked Griezmann’s ninth LaLiga goal of the season, leaving him just one goal behind the league’s top scorer, Jude Bellingham. Additionally, Griezmann is now only three goals behind Luis Aragones’ record as Atletico’s all-time top scorer, with 173 goals to his name.
As Atletico pushed for a second goal, they were left vulnerable in defense. Mallorca had an opportunity to equalize in the 84th minute on a counter-attack, but Amath Ndiaye missed a clear chance from close range.
Following the match, Atletico’s captain Koke, who celebrated his 600th game for the team, acknowledged the difficulty of the game and emphasized the importance of maintaining focus. He also stressed the significance of securing the three points and urged the team to continue their efforts.
(Reporting by Fernando Kallas; Editing by Toby Davis)
