Atletico Madrid draw level on points with champions Barcelona in Liga BBVA, after win over Granada
Out of nowhere Atletico Madrid on the verge of a season which could emulate their heroics of 2013-14. Nobody saw Diego Simeone’s men achieving what they did two years ago, but to follow it up now would truly shock the foundations of world football. With a spot in the Champions League semi-finals already secured, Atleti come into this game knowing that a win would see them temporarily move level on points with Barcelona.
Hopes of doing just that would receive a massive early boost, with Koke popping up to hand Atleti a 1-0 lead after just 14 minutes of the match. The midfielder would connect with a close range effort inside the area, handing Simeone’s men a huge early momentum boost.
Atletico would continue to push for another, but would ultimately reach the break with the scores level, despite the best efforts of Antoine Griezmann and Fernando Torres. While Madrid were easily in control, they would have to ensure they weren’t hit by a sudden Granada counter.
The pressure would eventually pay off for the men in white and red, with that man Torres performing a beautiful deft lob to beat Andres in the Granada net and hand the home team an important 2-0 advantage.
A third would be added by Angel Correa late on, with Atletico easing into a position which would see them finish dead level on points with Barcelona come the final whistle.
With Barca facing a difficult task against Valencia later in the day, could this Spanish title race be opened up even wider by a Los Che win or draw? Regardless, the gauntlet would be thrown down here by Simeone, as Atleti push for their second title in the space of three years.
Scoring Summary: Atletico Madrid – Koke (14), Torres (58); Granada – No Goals
