BARCELONA, March 19 — Antoine Griezmann pulled the strings for Atletico Madrid as they shredded Ruben Baraja’s helpless Valencia 3- in La Liga on Saturday.
The French ahead opened the scoring for the hosts at the Metropolitano and continued his personal outstanding form with yet another fantastic screen at the heart of Diego Simeone’s side.
Yannick Carrasco doubled Atletico’s direct early in the second 50 percent and Thomas Lemar sealed the gain, with the Rojiblancos, third, transferring 6 points very clear of fourth-put Real Sociedad, owning played a match additional.
The defeat leaves the troubled Los Che 17th, level on 26 factors with Getafe, 18th, who host Sevilla on Sunday.
Atletico recorded a fifth get in six La Liga games and tightened their hold on 3rd put with a assured display screen, the variety they could not obtain in the initially 50 % of the marketing campaign.
Memphis Depay skipped two superior odds for Atletico early on right before Griezmann broke the deadlock following 23 minutes.
Marcos Llorente burst ahead and fed the striker, and whilst there was a contact of luck about his to start with contact, which appeared to bounce off his foot and established the ball up properly, the next was a neat stroked end for his ninth league intention of the year.
Valencia imagined they had responded through Hugo Duro but his strike was ruled out by VAR for a foul at the other stop of the pitch by Dimitri Foulquier.
The to start with 50 % was powerful and quite even, but Atletico strolled to victory in the next soon after Carrasco tucked home from close array before long after the crack.
Griezmann threaded a fine move by way of for Alvaro Morata, who still left Valencia defender Eray Comert in the dust and crossed for Lemar to head house.
Samuel Lino hit the post for the readers late on but they could not even manage a consolation strike on yet another deeply stressing absent day for Baraja’s side, who have struggled poorly on the highway.
Penalty pitfall
Before Rayo Vallecano have been held to a 2-2 attract by Girona soon after missing a penalty which Oscar Trejo attempted to move to Isi Palazon.
Trejo noticed a very first location-kick saved by Paulo Gazzaniga, but was allowed to consider it once more for encroachment by Girona.
On his 2nd endeavor he laid the ball off to the onrushing Palazon, who fired around.
In 2016 Barcelona properly executed the go in La Liga, with Lionel Messi passing a penalty to Luis Suarez, who scored towards Celta Vigo.
Trejo and Palazon’s skip introduced back reminiscences of Arsenal attempting the exact same transfer towards Manchester City in the Leading League in 2005, when Robert Pires attempted to go to Thierry Henry but bungled the go.
No club in the huge five European leagues has much more misses from the location than Rayo this time, with German aspect Union Berlin amount on four.
Palazon had opened the scoring for Rayo in spectacular style, chopping in from the proper and sending a rocket into the top rated left corner.
Girona levelled as a result of Viktor Tsygankov but Rayo took the lead once again when Trejo completed properly.
Rayo ought to have extended their lead from the location when Arnau Martinez felled Alvaro Garcia, but the two their goalscorers mixed for their disastrous passed endeavor.
Ukrainian striker Tsygankov levelled the recreation when he tucked dwelling from Javi Hernandez’s cross.
The draw leaves Rayo provisionally eighth even though Girona sit 12th.
Celta Vigo won 3-1 at Espanyol with talented midfielder Gabri Veiga scoring a great purpose to proceed his superior type.
Almeria rescued a 1-1 draw versus Cadiz in a relegation scrap when Gonzalo Melero netted a stoppage-time penalty to terminate out Roger Marti’s opener.
Almeria continue to be 19th, even though Cadiz, 14th, are two details above the drop zone. — AFP