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January 19, 2011

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Atletico downs Mallorca to move up

ATLETICO Madrid downed Mallorca 3-0 on Monday to move into the Europa League positions at the midway point in the Spanish league season.

The game promised to be a tough test for Atletico without injured forward Sergio Aguero and facing a Mallorca that had already won at Sevilla and Valencia and earned a rare point at Barcelona.

But after resisting the visitors' early push, defender Juan Valera and Diego Forlan scored for Atletico before halftime and Jose Antonio Reyes added the third in injury time.

Atletico goalkeeper David de Gea saved Pierre Webo's penalty in the 70th after captain Antonio Lopez had been sent off for pulling down Mallorca winger Emilio Nsue in the area with only the 'keeper to beat.

The win lifted Atletico into sixth place on 30 points.

Mallorca looked to be the hungrier team from the start following shots by Victor Casadesus and Webo, but Atletico struck first when Valera rose above the defense at the near post to head home in the 13th minute.

Atletico's major winter signing, Brazilian midfielder Elias, combined well with his new teammates on debut and tested goalkeeper Dudu Aouate with a well-struck shot from the edge of the area in the 24th.

Forlan hit his seventh goal of the season in the 34th. Former Arsenal playmaker Fran Merida caught the Mallorca defense trying to spring an offside trap and set it up for the Uruguay striker.



 

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