Seville (Reuters) – Sevilla secured a 1-0 home victory over Atletico Madrid thanks to Isaac Romero’s goal in the first half, preventing the visitors from reclaiming the third spot in LaLiga.
Diego Simeone’s team remains with 48 points, trailing two points behind Barcelona, who will face Granada later in the day. Real Madrid leads the standings with 61 points, which is five points ahead of second-placed Girona.
“I’m proud of the way the team performed, especially in the second half,” said Simeone during a news conference. “There were opportunities to score, but unfortunately, we couldn’t capitalize on them. We need to remain patient and continue working hard.”
Sevilla took the lead in the 15th minute when Romero capitalized on a defensive lapse to head home after a corner was flicked on by Lucas Ocampos.
Despite losing striker Alvaro Morata to injury at halftime, Atletico dominated possession throughout the game. However, they were unable to break through a solid home backline, leading to their sixth league defeat of the season.
The victory propelled Sevilla to 15th place with 23 points, putting them six points clear of the relegation zone.
“We had a poor start to the game. This is a recurring issue that we need to address and change our mindset,” Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak told DAZN.
“They played exceptionally well and did everything in their power to secure the win. They are currently near the bottom of the table, which doesn’t reflect the quality of their squad.
“We’ve suffered too many losses in away games. This is unacceptable if we want to compete for the league title. We need to be honest with ourselves. We still have a long way to go.”
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico CityEditing by Christian Radnedge)
