La Liga 2024-25: Alvarez scores two as Atletico Madrid beats Valencia

La Liga 2024-25: Alvarez scores two as Atletico Madrid beats Valencia

Julian Alvarez scored twice to help Atletico Madrid win 3-0 at Valencia on Saturday and lift his team provisionally into first place of the Spanish league.

Barcelona, however, reclaimed the lead after a win at Las Palmas. Real Madrid is also two points behind and will play Girona on Sunday.

Antoine Griezmann played a part in both of Alvarez’s first-half goals with a pair of finely placed lobs inside Valencia’s box.

Alvarez finished off a move in the 12th minute inside Valencia’s area that started with a lifted pass from Griezmann that Samuel Lino volleyed off the bar. Guiliano Simeone was first to the rebound and tapped it to Alvarez to ram into the net.

Griezmann was again left with space and time to think inside the area before he landed a perfectly placed pass between Valencia’s center backs for Alvarez to gently nod off the turf and inside the post on the half-hour mark.

Angel Correa completed the scoring with four minutes remaining.

“We are still in the fight,” Alvarez said. “We are leaders now, but there is a long way to go.”

Valencia remained in the relegation zone.

Villarreal striker Ayoze Perez netted his 11th league goal of the campaign in a 1-0 victory at 10-man Rayo Vallecano.

The result kept Villarreal in fifth place and challenging for a Champions League berth that go to the top four finishers. Athletic Bilbao is fourth and just one point ahead.

Rayo played with 10 men after Jorge de Frutos saw a red card for a studs-first foul just before halftime. The Madrid-based club also lost top midfielder Isi Palazón early in the game to an apparent leg injury. Perez scored in the 66th.

Espanyol won its first away game of the season thanks to a header by Fernando Calero and the goalkeeping of Joan García to beat Alaves 1-0 on the road.

The loss left Alaves coach Eduardo Coudet under added pressure with his team in danger of the drop.