Atlético earns Champions League spot for 10th straight year
MADRID (AP) — Atlético Madrid secured a Champions League spot for the tenth straight season after defeating Elche 2-0 within the Spanish league on Wednesday.
The victory moved Diego Simeone’s workforce into third place, one level forward of Sevilla, which earlier missed its personal likelihood to ensure a berth in Europe’s high membership competitors subsequent season after a scoreless residence draw towards relegation-threatened Mallorca.
Matheus Cunha and Rodrigo De Paul scored a objective in every half to depart Atlético six factors in entrance of fifth-place Actual Betis with two rounds to go. Betis, which received 3-0 at Valencia on Tuesday, can’t surpass Atlético for the ultimate qualification spot as a result of it loses on the head-to-head tiebreaker.
“This workforce additionally needs to be taking part in within the high competitions,” De Paul stated. “We had an up-and-down season however to complete like that is vital.”
The victory left Atlético with an opportunity to catch Barcelona for second place and a spot within the profitable Spanish Tremendous Cup in Saudi Arabia. Barcelona, which defeated Celta Vigo 3-1 at residence on Tuesday, is 5 factors in entrance of Atlético going into the final two video games of the season.
Actual Madrid clinched its record-extending thirty fifth league title upfront. It hosts last-place Levante on Thursday.
Atlético has made it to the Champions League each time since 2013-14. It reached the ultimate in 2014 and 2016, shedding the title-deciding video games to metropolis rival Madrid each instances. It solely didn’t advance previous the group stage in 2017-18. Simeone’s workforce was eradicated by Manchester Metropolis on this 12 months’s quarterfinals.
Cunha opened the scoring within the twenty eighth minute and De Paul sealed the victory with a shot into an open internet within the 62nd after an help by Antoine Griezmann, who performed effectively regardless of seeing its scoreless streak attain 17 matches in all competitions.
Substitute Atlético striker Luis Suárez had a objective disallowed for offside in stoppage time.
Elche, sitting in 14th place, has escaped relegation regardless of the loss, its second consecutive.
SEVILLA STALLS
Sevilla once more missed an opportunity to safe its Champions League spot upfront at residence.
Julen Lopetegui’s workforce has drawn three straight matches, together with the final two on the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium. The opposite residence draw additionally was towards a relegation-threated workforce, Cádiz.
Sevilla has received solely two of its final 10 matches in all competitions, with three losses and 5 attracts.
Mallorca stayed with possibilities of escaping demotion because it sits two factors behind Cádiz, the primary workforce outdoors the relegation zone. Cádiz visits sixth-place Actual Sociedad on Thursday.
ALAVÉS BELIEVES
Alavés left last-place and moved inside 4 factors of exiting the relegation zone with a 2-1 win over Espanyol.
Miguel de la Fuente and Gonzalo Escalante scored a objective in every half for the hosts, whereas Espanyol obtained on the board with Raúl de Tomás within the first half.
It was the third win within the final 5 league matches for Alavés, all of them at residence.
Espanyol stayed in thirteenth place and is secure within the high flight subsequent season.
GETAFE ALMOST SAFE
Getafe earned a 1-1 draw at mid-table Osasuna to maneuver inside a degree of securing its permanence within the first division.
It obtained the draw regardless of not having a single try on track. It scored with an own-goal by Osasuna midfielder Lucas Torró.
The end result saved Getafe in fifteenth place, 5 factors from security. It has a greater head-to-head tiebreaker towards Mallorca, the primary workforce contained in the relegation zone.
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