By Canadian Press on April 6, 2025.
MADRID (AP) — Atletico Madrid gained ground on Real Madrid and Barcelona with a 2-1 win at Sevilla in the Spanish league on Sunday.
Pablo Barrios scored the winner three minutes into stoppage time as Atletico ended a three-game winless streak in the league. Madrid lost 2-1 at home to Valencia on Saturday, while leader Barcelona drew 1-1 with Real Betis, also at home on Saturday.
Atletico moved within three points of second-placed Madrid and seven behind Barcelona after 30 rounds. It has a seven-point gap to fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao, which has a game in hand.
The league remains Atletico’s only hope for a trophy after being eliminated by Madrid in the round of 16 of the Champions League and by Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semifinals.
Atletico hadn’t won in the league since the beginning of March, when it defeated Athletic Bilbao 1-0. Since then it had lost at Getafe and then to Barcelona, and drawn at relegation-threatened Espanyol.
Its only win across all competitions since beating Athletic was against Madrid in the Champions League in a match in which it was eventually eliminated on penalties.
Sevilla was also struggling, having lost two in a row in the league — to Athletic and at Betis in the Seville derby. Sunday’s loss kept Sevilla in 11th place.
Lucien Agoumé put the hosts ahead with a one-timer from outside the area in the seventh before Julián Álvarez equalized for Atletico by converting a penalty kick in the 25th.
Barrios got the winner with a run that finished with him finding the corner with a well-placed low shot.
Also Sunday, Real Sociedad moved to eighth place by winning 3-1 at second-to-last Las Palmas, which is winless in 13 straight. Sociedad has won its last two league games.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Tales Azzoni, The Associated Press
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