Atletico’s Simeone still upbeat despite loss
Print Edition
ATLETICO Madrid coach Diego Simeone is upbeat ahead of a potentially thrilling finale to the La Liga season with the top three sides remaining in title contention after a weekend of upsets.
With two games remaining, Atletico have 88 points and are still in the driving seat, despite a 2-0 defeat at Levante on Sunday, as Real Madrid failed to take advantage and needed a late goal from Cristiano Ronaldo to scramble a 2-2 home draw against Valencia.
Barcelona, who drew 2-2 against Getafe on Saturday, are second — three points behind, while Real lie third on 83 points with a game in hand.
“On this occasion we have been beaten and now we have in front of us three weeks full of emotion, pure football. The league now is a lot more exciting,” Simeone said after Sunday’s defeat.
Atletico have also booked a place in the May 24 Champions League final against Real Madrid with a 3-1 victory over Chelsea in London.
Real needed a brilliant Cristiano Ronaldo volley in added time to rescue a point in a 2-2 home draw with Valencia. Ronaldo, La Liga’s top scorer with 31 goals, sent a spectacular back-heeled effort rocketing past Valencia keeper Diego Alves in the 92nd minute.
At the Bernabeu, Real, fresh from Tuesday’s superb 4-0 win at Bayern Munich in the Champions League, Real had looked in typically dominant form in the early stages but the visitors were ahead when Jeremy Mathieu nodded in at a corner a minute before halftime.
Sergio Ramos levelled with a header in the 59th before Parejo smashed in a loose ball to restore Valencia’s lead six minutes later.
Atletico fell behind Levante when the ball ricocheted off Filipe and squirmed over the line. They had chances for an equalizer before Barral controlled a cross and fired past Thibaut Courtois.
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