Celta had a possession advantage, more shots – in total, on and off target – and an equal number of corners to Atletico but still lost the game 1-0. All thanks to Los Colchoneros’ addition from Man City, Julian Alvarez, who netted the winner in the last minute, marking Atletico’s seventh consecutive triumph over the team from Vigo.JULIAN ALVAREZ COMES OFF THE BENCH TO WIN IT FOR ATLETI IN THE 90TH MINUTE 🔥 pic.twitter.com/uPicMNZJar— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) September 26, 2024 Still, Celta proved to be a tough nut to crack, especially at their stadium, Balaidos, where many favourites are likely to “slip”. Diego Simeone opted for the strongest possible lineup, with one slight surprise – the Argentinian included his son Giuliano in the XI, while his fellow countryman Rodrigo De Paul was benched. The potentially “lethal” attacking duo of Antoine Griezmann and Alexander Sorloth did not function well…The rather dull first half could have ended with the home team’s lead had it not been for Jan Oblak, who superbly stopped Iago Aspas’ long-distance attempt. Having seen that things were going south for his squad, Simeone subbed Alvarez in for the captain Koke, trying to snatch the victory at all costs with three forwards. He’s a legal alien, he’s an Englishman in MadridStill, the only notable moment until the dying minutes was another Oblak’s magnificent save, this time against Borja Iglesias. And in the end, even though Celta didn’t deserve to lose, Atletico converted their first goal-scoring opportunity, grabbing the hard-won three points. Alvarez sealed Los Celestes’ fate, scoring his second goal of the season, and showed why Simeone insisted on his arrival.##NAJAVA_MECA_8370932##After this triumph, Atletico sit in the third spot of the La Liga table, behind Real Madrid and Barcelona. Moreover, the three teams are the only undefeated sides in the Spanish league, but Los Colchoneros’ draws with Villarreal and, surprisingly, Rayo Vallecano and Espanyol caused them to fall behind the rivals, as Barca are currently six points ahead, and Los Blancos are two. In the next round, on Sunday, Atletico await Real in the Derbi Madrileno, while Celta host Girona.LA LIGA – MATCHDAY 7TuesdayValencia – Osasuna 0-0Sevilla – Valladolid 2-1 (1-0)/Torres 45 og, Ejuke 85 – Perez K. 56/Real Madrid – Alaves 3-2 (2-0)/Vazquez 1, Mbappe 40, Rodrygo 48 – Benavidez 85, Garcia 87/WednesdayGirona – Rayo Vallecano 0-0Barcelona – Getafe 1-0 (1-0)/Lewandowski 19/ThursdayEspanyol – Villarreal 1-2 (1-1)/Jofre 45+1 – Perez 45+6, 63/Las Palmas – Betis 1-1 (1-1)/Moleiro 9 – Lo Celso 45+3/Celta – Atl.Madrid 0-1 (0-0)/Alvarez 90/
