MADRID, Oct 2: Atletico Madrid rallied from a two-goal deficit to win its third straight game and move into the Champions League spots in the Spanish league.
With a brace from Ángel Correa and a goal by Nahuel Molina, Atletico went from 2-1 down at halftime to beating Cadiz 3-2 on Sunday at the Metropolitano Stadium.
The victory moved Diego Simeone’s team to fourth place behind Girona, Barcelona and leader Real Madrid. Atletico has a game in hand and was coming off wins at Osasuna and against Madrid in the first city derby of the season.
“The team had the tranquility to find the way to victory,” Simeone said. “The guys have been showing great effort, and today’s comeback makes me happy because it wasn’t easy after conceding those two goals.”
Cadiz, winless in three matches and sitting in 12th place, got off to a fast start with Lucas Pires scoring in the 12th and Roger Martí in the 27th. Atletico pulled closer with Correa’s goal in the 32nd, and Nahuel Molina equalized for the hosts early in the second half before Correa got the winner from inside the area in the 66th.
Atletico has won 12 straight home matches at home in the league going back to last season, and it has not lost in 16 consecutive home matches against Cadiz, with 15 wins and a draw.
Cadiz remains winless in its last nine away league matches, since a 2-0 win at Real Betis in April.
Hat-trick in 5 minutes
Last-place Almeria couldn’t hold on to a three-goal lead at halftime after a hat trick by Luis Suárez in five minutes, drawing 3-3 with second-to-last Granada at home.
Suárez scored Almeria’s goals in the 41st, 44th and in the first minute of first-half stoppage time but the Colombian forward had to leave the game late in the second half with a leg fracture. He was taken to a hospital in an ambulance after being substituted.
Granada rallied with goals from Bryan Zaragoza in the 66th, Ricard Sánchez in the 70th and Myrto Uzuni in the 86th.
Almeria, which was led by interim coach Alberto Lasarte after Vicente Moreno was fired this week, remains the only team without a win in the league this season. It has three points from three draws. Granada has five points from a win and two draws.
Betis beat Valencia
Real Betis ended its four-game winless streak in all competitions with a 3-0 win over Valencia.
Assane Diao scored in the first half, and Marc Roca and Ez Abde added second-half goals for the hosts.
The win moved Betis to seventh place, with midtable Valencia winless in three matches.
The game at Benito Villamarin Stadium was moved to a night slot because of high temperatures in the southern Spanish city of Seville.
Osasuna win
Osasuna ended a five-game winless streak in all competitions with a 2-0 victory at promoted Alaves, with José Arnaiz and Ante Budimir scoring a goal in each half.
Osasuna’s last win had come at Valencia in August. It next visits league leader Real Madrid.
Alaves, winless in four matches, played a man down from the 49th because of a red card for midfielder Antonio Blanco. (AP)
