With the Spanish league title in sight, Atl├йtico Madrid made sure it didnтАЩt falter. Gritty and determined, Diego SimeoneтАЩs team moved closer to ending its title drought in Spain with a 2-1 home win against Real Sociedad on Wednesday, taking a major step toward securing its first league trophy since 2014.
Simeone punched the air as he raced from the bench to the tunnel after the final whistle, and some of the hundreds of fans who supported the team from outside the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium set off fireworks to celebrate the crucial win.
тАЬWe could hear them,тАЭ said Atl├йtico captain Koke Resurrecci├│n, who played his 500th match for the club. тАЬThere are two games left but that’s a lot. Everyone is losing points in this league. We have two finals ahead of us.тАЭ
Yannick Carrasco and ├Бngel Correa scored a goal each in the first half and Atl├йtico held on after conceding late to open a four-point lead over Barcelona with two rounds to go. The Catalan club had stumbled again on Tuesday, being held to a 3-3 draw at Levante to see its title chances dwindle.
Atl├йtico is five points ahead of Real Madrid, which can get back within two points if it wins at Granada on Thursday. If Madrid draws or loses, a home victory on Sunday against 11th-place Osasuna will be enough to give Atl├йtico the league title after a seven-year wait.
Atl├йtico supporters will have to remain outside the Metropolitano for the possible title-clincher on Sunday as only some regions in Spain will be allowed to have limited crowds in stadiums, the government said earlier on Wednesday.
тАЬI know it’s difficult for everyone, but soccer needs the fans,тАЭ Simeone said.
Fourth-place Sevilla was dropped from title contention despite a 1-0 win against Valencia at home earlier on Wednesday. It was six points from Atl├йtico, which has the edge in the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Madrid has the tiebreaker advantage over both of its rivals, while Atl├йtico has the edge in case of a tie with Barcelona. The match against fifth-place Sociedad was perhaps Atl├йtico’s most difficult challenge in the last few rounds. After hosting Osasuna, it finishes at relegation-threatened Valladolid.
Atl├йtico has been in the lead for most of the season. It got off to a fast start and was on pace for a 100-point campaign before faltering toward the end and allowing Barcelona, Madrid and Sevilla to move closer.
Atl├йtico came out attacking from the start at the Metropolitano, giving little space for Sociedad. Luis Su├бrez and Marcos Llorente both missed clear chances early before Carrasco opened the scoring with a 16th-minute shot from inside the area that went between the legs of Sociedad goalkeeper ├Бlex Remiro.
Su├бrez, who has been key for Atl├йtico after being let go by Barcelona last season, set up CorreaтАЩs 28th-minute goal from inside the area with a nice through ball past defenders. Sociedad, still fighting for a Europa League spot, pulled closer through Igor Zubeldia from close range after a corner in the 83rd and pressed for an equalizer until the end. The Basque Country club had already hit the post twice.
OTHER RESULTS
Celta Vigo defeated Getafe 1-0 to stay in eighth place and maintain a shot at qualifying for the Europa League next season. Getafe remained in danger of demotion, sitting three points from the relegation zone. Huesca, meanwhile, moved out of the relegation zone with a 1-0 win over Athletic Bilbao, staying two points clear of danger.
