Sevilla continues its recovery with a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid in Spanish league
MADRID (AP) — Sevilla continued its recovery with a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid that ended a 10-match winless streak at home and moved it further away from the relegation zone on Sunday.
Isaac Romero scored a 15th-minute winner to give Sevilla its second straight league victory after a run of five winless matches that included four losses. Sevilla hadn’t won in eight league games, matching its worst ever winless streak in the competition from back in the 1960s.
The victory jumped Sevilla to 15th place, six points from the relegation zone.
Atletico increased its winless streak to three matches in all competitions and saw its title chances in the Spanish league diminish. Diego Simeone’s team stayed in fourth place, 13 points from leader Real Madrid, which routed second-place Girona 4-0 at home on Saturday.
Third-place Barcelona hosts second-to-last Granada later Sunday.
Atletico was coming off a 1-0 loss to Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey that ended its 28-game unbeaten run at home across all tournaments. Before that, it needed a stoppage-time equalizer to draw 1-1 at Real Madrid in the league. Atletico had eliminated Sevilla 1-0 in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey at home in January.
Atletico striker Álvaro Morata couldn’t finish the first half with an apparent knee injury that prompted him to leave the field in tears.
GETAFE’S LATE WIN
Jaime Mata scored twice, including an 89th-minute winner, in Getafe’s 3-2 victory over Celta Vigo at home.
Getafe stayed in 10th place, while Rafa Benítez’s Celta, which rallied from two goals down after the 71st, stayed 17th —three points clear from the relegation zone.
MURIQI’S WINNER
Vedat Muriqi scored a minute into stoppage time as Mallorca defeated Rayo Vallecano 2-1 to move into 16th place, six points clear of danger.
Mallorca was winless in five consecutive league matches.
Rayo, winless in seven matches in all competitions, dropped to 14th place with its third-straight league loss.
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