Alvarez double seals Atletico win against bottom club Valladolid

MADRID: Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez scored two crucial penalties as they came from behind to defeat bottom club Real Valladolid 4-2 in a rain-soaked Metropolitano on Monday, keeping their title hopes alive.

Third-placed Atletico now have 63 points, three behind Real Madrid and seven adrift of Barcelona. Valladolid, who suffered their fifth consecutive loss, remain on 16 points, 14 points shy of safety with seven matches remaining.

" These are three important points," Atletico striker Alvarez told DAZN. "We have to keep going. Think about (Saturday's game at) Las Palmas, rest and focus. That's all.

"I had the chance to get a hat-trick elsewhere, but the big thing is that we won. It got complicated at one point, but we managed it."

Valladolid took a surprising lead in the 21st minute when Mamadou Sylla calmly converted a penalty, awarded after a VAR check for a handball by Clement Lenglet.

The lead was short-lived as Alvarez equalized from the spot just four minutes later, following another VAR intervention for a foul by Javi Sanchez on Giuliano Simeone. Simeone then scored himself to give Atletico the lead in the 27th minute.

However, the visitors shocked Atletico again by equalizing in the 56th minute when Sanchez’s free-kick deflected off Conor Gallagher in the wall and past goalkeeper Jan Oblak.

Atletico regained the lead in the 71st minute with another well-taken Alvarez penalty after Henrique fouled Marcos Llorente. The Argentine forward almost completed his hat-trick eight minutes later, but goalkeeper Andre Ferreira was quick to block his low shot.

Nevertheless, substitute Alexander Sorloth capitalized on the rebound to seal the win with a close-range finish.

"We competed well. We knew we were going to suffer. It's a pity they came back," Valladolid's Sanchez said.

"We have to keep going and continue in this vein. Leave the crest where it deserves to be. We have to take it one game at a time. Fight until the end ..."