Atletico Madrid came from behind to defeat Villarreal 3-1 with a goal and an assist by Antoine Griezmann. It was the 15th straight league home win for Atletico, surpassing the run of 14 victories in a row at the Vicente Calderon Stadium between May 2012 and February 2013.
Atletico fell behind when Villarreal striker Gerard Moreno scored in the 20th, but the host rallied with goals by Axel Witsel in first-half stoppage time, Griezmann in the 80th and Samuel Lino in the 85th.
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It was the seventh goal in six matches for Griezmann who, along with Álvaro Morata, is leading an attack that has scored 29 goals in 12 league matches.
Atletico was coming off a 6-0 rout of Celtic at home in the group stage of the Champions League. It is unbeaten in 12 games in all competitions, with 10 wins and two draws. Atletico won all of its six games at home this season, plus the last nine from last season to set the new club record at the Metropolitano stadium.
“It’s always a plus to play in front of these fans,” Griezmann said. “They always give us an extra boost.”
The team coached by Diego Simeone, who last week had his contract extended until 2027, has a game in hand as a home match against Sevilla in September was suspended because of bad weather.
It was the seventh league loss for 14th-place Villarreal, which had sports director Miguel Ángel Tena in charge after coach José Rojo Martín, known as “Pacheta,” was fired last week.
SEVILLE DERBY
Ivan Rakitic scored in the 79th minute to give Sevilla a 1-1 draw with rival Real Betis in the Seville derby.
Ayoze Pérez had put the visitors ahead in the 72nd.
Sevilla, sitting in 13th place, had its winless streak in the league extended to six matches, with five draws in its last five games.
Manuel Pellegrini’s Betis, in seventh place, had won five in a row in all competitions, including two straight in the Spanish league.
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