Madrid witnessed an exciting match on Sunday as Julián Álvarez netted the winning goal in the second half, helping Atletico Madrid secure a narrow 1-0 victory over Mallorca.
This win propelled Atletico back to third place in the Spanish league standings, putting them just one point behind Real Madrid, who triumphed over Osasuna with a commanding 4-0 scoreline the previous day. Vinícius Júnior shone brightly for Madrid, scoring a hat trick in that match.

Atletico’s victory also saw them extend their lead over Villarreal, who won 3-0 against Alaves on Saturday, placing them two points below Atletico. Meanwhile, league leaders Barcelona are sitting comfortably six points clear of Real Madrid and are set to face Real Sociedad later on Sunday. It’s worth noting that Real Madrid has some games in hand, having had a match against Valencia postponed due to severe flooding in that region.

The decisive moment of the game came in the 61st minute when Álvarez found the back of the net, thanks to an assist from Giuliano Simeone. Simeone, who is the son of Atletico’s head coach, Diego Simeone, skillfully evaded a defender to deliver a precise long pass that set up Álvarez for a straightforward finish from close range.

Atletico’s goalkeeper, Jan Oblak, continued to show his exceptional form, contributing to the team’s seventh clean sheet of the season, a league-best record. This victory follows Atletico’s impressive 2-1 win against Paris Saint-Germain earlier in the week during their Champions League campaign.

In another match, Real Betis managed to secure a 2-2 draw with Celta Vigo, thanks to a stoppage-time equalizer from Marc Bartra.
Celta initially took the lead through Javi Rodríguez in the 13th minute, but Betis responded with a goal from Vitor Roque in the 40th minute. Celta regained the advantage in the 82nd minute with a goal from Anastasios Douvikas, but Betis’s late equalizer ensured that they retained a vital point.