Julian Alvarez scored his 10th league goal of the season to help Atletico Madrid beat Athletic Club and move top of La Liga
Atletico Madrid vs Athletic Club
On a gripping Saturday evening at the Wanda Metropolitano, Atletico Madrid secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Athletic Club, a result that propelled them to the summit of LaLiga, albeit potentially temporarily. The decisive moment arrived in the 66th minute when a former Manchester City forward, now donning Atletico’s red and white, latched onto a sublime, defense-splitting pass from Marcos Llorente. With composure belying the stakes of the match, he calmly slotted the ball past the Athletic Club goalkeeper, breaking the deadlock and sending the home crowd into a frenzy. The win was a testament to Diego Simeone’s tactical acumen, as his side capitalized on the opportunity to leapfrog both Barcelona and Real Madrid, the latter having succumbed to a 2-1 defeat at Real Betis earlier that day. With this triumph, Atletico amassed 56 points, establishing a two-point cushion over second-placed Barcelona, who held a game in hand against Real Sociedad scheduled for Sunday, and a three-point advantage over Real Madrid, who were left licking their wounds after their stumble in Seville. Athletic Club, meanwhile, mounted a spirited challenge to salvage a result, coming agonizingly close to an equalizer when Benat Prados rattled the post with a header, only for Inaki Williams to crash the rebound off the underside of the crossbar, a sequence that left the visitors ruing their misfortune. For Atletico, the victory was not just a step toward LaLiga glory but also a psychological boost ahead of a tantalizing midweek clash, as they prepared to face city rivals Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday, an encounter where they aimed to further twist the knife into their beleaguered neighbors.
The match had unfolded as a tense, tactical chess game, with both sides probing cautiously in the opening exchanges, wary of the high stakes at play. Atletico, under Simeone’s meticulous guidance, adopted their trademark disciplined approach, sitting deep to absorb pressure while seeking opportunities to strike on the counter. Athletic Club, buoyed by their fourth-place standing and a reputation for resilience, matched the hosts’ intensity, their physicality and organization making life difficult for Atletico’s attackers. The first half saw few clear-cut chances, with both defenses holding firm, though Atletico’s midfield, anchored by the industrious Llorente, began to assert control as the game wore on. The breakthrough, however, remained elusive until the second half, when the complexion of the contest shifted decisively. Llorente, a dynamo in the engine room, seized the moment in the 66th minute, threading a perfectly weighted pass through Athletic’s backline, dissecting their high defensive line with surgical precision. The former Manchester City striker, whose pace and movement had been a constant menace, timed his run to perfection, collecting the ball in stride before coolly dispatching it into the net. The goal was a masterclass in counter-attacking football, embodying Simeone’s philosophy of patience and ruthlessness, and it handed Atletico a lead they would fiercely protect as Athletic Club scrambled to respond, their desperation growing with each passing minute in a match that had suddenly tilted in the home side’s favor.
Athletic Club, stung by the concession, refused to capitulate, their pride and competitive spirit driving them to mount a furious late assault on Atletico’s goal. The defining moment of their resistance came shortly after the hour mark, when a well-worked move culminated in Benat Prados rising highest to meet a pinpoint cross, directing a powerful header toward the top corner. The Wanda Metropolitano held its breath as the ball cannoned off the post, the sound reverberating through the stands, only for the drama to intensify as Inaki Williams pounced on the rebound. With the goal at his mercy, the Athletic striker unleashed a venomous strike that crashed against the underside of the crossbar, bouncing tantalizingly away from the line as Atletico’s defense scrambled to clear the danger. The double denial was a cruel twist of fate for the visitors, who had thrown everything into their bid for parity, their attacking intent momentarily exposing gaps that Atletico nearly exploited on the break. Simeone’s men, however, remained resolute, their defensive solidity—a hallmark of their manager’s tenure—coming to the fore as they repelled wave after wave of Athletic pressure. Goalkeeper Jan Oblak, a towering presence between the posts, marshaled his backline with authority, his commanding presence snuffing out any lingering hopes of a Bilbao comeback, ensuring that the slender lead, carved out by Llorente’s vision and the striker’s composure, would hold firm until the final whistle.
For Atletico Madrid, the victory carried significance beyond the three points, serving as a statement of intent in a LaLiga title race that had grown increasingly unpredictable. Real Madrid’s earlier slip against Real Betis—where former star Isco had haunted them with a match-winning penalty—had opened the door, and Simeone’s side seized the opportunity with relish, their ascent to first place a reward for their consistency and grit. Yet, the two-point lead over Barcelona, who sat on 54 points with a game in hand, underscored the fragility of their position. The Catalan giants’ clash with Real Sociedad loomed large on Sunday, a fixture that could see them reclaim the top spot and restore their one-point advantage over Atletico, depending on the outcome. Simeone, ever the pragmatist, would have been acutely aware that this triumph, while a moment to savor, was but a fleeting edge in a marathon campaign, with Barcelona’s response and Real Madrid’s resilience still to be reckoned with. Looking ahead, the midweek Champions League showdown with Real Madrid added an extra layer of intrigue. The first leg of their last-16 tie offered Atletico a chance to deepen their rivals’ woes, a prospect that undoubtedly fueled the celebrations among the Wanda Metropolitano faithful. As the dust settled on Saturday’s heroics, Atletico could bask in their momentary supremacy, their sights set not only on domestic glory but also on delivering a psychological blow to their city foes, with Llorente’s pass and the ex-City forward’s finish etched as the defining images of a night that tilted the LaLiga balance in their favor—at least for now.
