Antoine Griezmann scored twice as Atletico Madrid secured a 10th successive victory in all competitions with a comfortable 3-1 home victory over Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Atletico moved up to 10th with 12 points from six matches, while Slovan are rooted to the bottom of the 36-team table after losing all six games and cannot make the playoffs.
Griezmann scored for the fifth consecutive game with a first-half header and a simple finish at the near post in the second half, adding to strike partner Julian Alvarez’s opener.
Slovan briefly got back into the game at 2-1 when David Strelec won a penalty and converted from 12 yards. Tigran Barseghyan also hit the crossbar in the first half.
Free-scoring Atletico have scored 21 goals in their last five games in all competitions and perhaps could have had more in this one too, but were wasteful in the final third.
Alvarez’s 12th goal of the season gave the hosts the lead on 16 minutes when Slovan gave him too much time and space on the edge of the box and fired a precise shot into the top corner superior.
Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez celebrates scoring against Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League. | Photo credit: REUTERS
Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez celebrates scoring against Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League. | Photo credit: REUTERS
The visitors almost equalized with a lightning counterattack that ended with Barseghyan hitting the crossbar.
Atletico doubled their advantage with a simple goal three minutes before halftime. Marcos Llorente stretched to head a deep cross towards the back post and Griezmann rose above the static defenders to head the ball into the net.
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Slovan were awarded a penalty when Clément Lenglet clipped Strelec’s heel in the area and the latter took the penalty himself, scoring his fourth goal of the campaign.
However, any thoughts of a comeback diminished when Griezmann scored his second to extend Atletico’s lead again. He slipped into space in the penalty area and beat Slovan goalkeeper Dominik Takac at his near post.
Haraldsson’s late goal seals Lille’s 3-2 win over Sturm Graz
Lille secured a 3-2 victory over visitors Sturm Graz on Wednesday in a Champions League thriller, with substitute Hakon Arnar Haraldsson scoring a late winner.
The Icelandic midfielder had been on the pitch for a minute when he found himself unmarked in the box, calmly sending the ball into the top corner nine minutes from time.
Lille’s Hakon Arnar Haraldsson celebrates his third goal against Sturm Graz in the Champions League. | Photo credit: REUTERS
Hakon Arnar Haraldsson of Lille celebrates his third goal against Sturm Graz in the Champions League. | Photo credit: REUTERS
Lille are sixth in the Champions League table ahead of Wednesday’s remaining matches with 13 points, while Sturm Graz are 29th with three points.
After a rather calm opening, the match came alive in the final minutes of the first half, with Osame Sahraoui breaking the deadlock for Lille in the 37th minute, before Mitchel Bakker doubled the lead 10 minutes later.
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Sturm launched an immediate fightback, with Otar Kiteishvili sending a bouncing ball into the roof of the net with the final kick of the first half.
Mika Biereth equalized for the visitors two minutes after the restart, tapping in a low cross from close range. However, Sturm was unable to prevent Haraldsson from securing all three points for Lille with his late strike.
