Atletico Madrid’s La Liga title push stayed on track, just, as Diego Simeone’s side saw off a stern challenge from strugglers Alaves thanks to a Luis Suarez goal and a Jan Oblak penalty save.
Late on Sunday night Barcelona have a huge match away to Real Sociedad to round off the weekend’s fixtures, and the fact that both Madrid clubs picked up three points puts the onus on the Blaugrana to win away to the Europe hopefuls.
Sociedad are trailing Sevilla, who pulled off the moment of the weekend when their keeper Bono scored a dramatic equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Real Valladolid.
Atletico scrape past Alaves
With Real Madrid winning and Barcelona on a charge, here at SBOTOP we slated this as a must-win game for Los Rojiblancos.
Over the last few weeks the La Liga 2021 betting odds have drifted slightly away from the Wanda Metropolitano after Diego Simeone’s league leaders faltered with draws against Getafe and Real Madrid, and the way they were swept aside by Chelsea in the Champions League last week was worrying.
And they put in a lacklustre opening half to this game, dominating possession but with no cutting edge, failing to register a single shot on target against the bottom three club, while Alaves striker Joselu threatened to put the underdogs in front.
Simeone must have had a thing or two to say at half time and he had an effect as Luis Suarez met a cross from Kieran Trippier to head Los Rojiblancos in front, ten minutes into the second period. Atleti keeper Jan Oblak had to have his wits about him to save a low effort from Facundo Pellestri.
Suarez was close to adding a second late on but his shot, destined for the top corner was saved, and then came late drama. Stefan Savic felled Luis Rioja, VAR awarded a penalty and Oblak was there to save the day, stopping Joselu’s spot-kick to preserve three priceless points.
Los Blancos still in the hunt
Real Madrid climbed up to second place in La Liga, for now anyway, thanks to a 3-1 victory away to Celta Vigo as France striker Karim Benzema helped himself to a brace. Benzema’s impressive run of form, six goals in four games in all competitions and five in three in the league, has lifted him into contention for the La Liga Golden Boot. He’s now on 17 goals and just four behind Lionel Messi, with Luis Suarez on 18.
Los Blancos were the first of the three title contenders to play and they put a marker down to their two rivals with a well-deserved win at the Abanca-Blaidos Stadium. Both of Benzema’s goals were teed up by German midfielder Toni Kroos as Real strolled into a two-goal lead. Celta’s Santi Mina briefly gave the hosts some hope of a fightback but Marco Asensio restored the two-goal lead with a late effort.
With Barcelona and Atletico already out of European competition, Los Blancos are the only La Liga side still in the Champions League, so it could still turn out to be a good season for Zinedine Zidane, and we can expect a fascinating run-in to the league season.
Karim Benzema in action for Real Madrid against Celta Vigo
Sevilla’s Bono scores dramatic leveller
The pick of this weekend’s La Liga 2021 highlights simply has to go to Sevilla keeper Yassine Bounou who saved his team from a potentially shock defeat away to Real Valladolid.
The hosts went ahead through Chilean midfielder Fabian Orellana when he struck a blow at the perfect time, one minute before the half time break. Striker Shon Weissman fell under a crude two-man challenge from Sevilla defenders Diego Carlos and Karim Rekik, and Orellana made no mistake from the penalty spot.
That must have changed the half-time team talks and, after Luuk de Jong missed two glorious chances for Sevilla, heading one against the woodwork from point black range, it looked like Valladolid were set to see the game out for a vital, and unexpected, three points until Bono performed his heroics in the 94th minute. As Valladolid clung on in a goalmouth scramble the ball fell to Jules Kounde who squared for the keeper to side foot home…cool as you like!
Bono’s strike, the first in open play by a keeper in La Liga in ten years, could prove to be crucial for Los Sevillanos who are homing in on a top-four place and this is not the time to lose momentum. Real Valladolid stay in danger, four points above the drop zone. Another two would have taking them up to 14th and with a handy cushion. It was a chance missed by Valladolid as three of the teams below them, Elche, Eibar and Huesca all picked up a point.
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The post La Liga: Madrid Giants Win While a Scoring Keeper Saves Sevilla appeared first on SBOTOP.
