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Julian Alvarez continued his impressive debut season in Spain, scoring twice as Atletico Madrid cruised to a 3-0 victory over Valencia at Mestalla on Saturday, taking them provisionally to the top of La Liga.
The former Manchester City forward netted twice in the first half, reaching nine league goals for the season, before Angel Correa sealed the win late on.
The victory moves Diego Simeone’s side two points clear of Barcelona and Real Madrid, with both Spanish giants in action later this weekend.
Atletico started strongly and broke the deadlock in the 12th minute, with Alvarez pouncing on a loose ball after Samuel Lino’s shot struck the bar.
Alvarez doubled the lead in the 27th minute, heading home Antoine Griezmann’s pinpoint cross as Valencia struggled to contain the visitors.
Valencia, who had won three consecutive home games, offered little in the first half, with Umar Sadiq heading their only clear chance wide.
Atletico could have put the game to bed before halftime, but Alvarez narrowly missed a golden chance to complete his hat trick.
Carlos Corberan’s side improved after the break, forcing Jan Oblak into action on multiple occasions. However, Atletico weathered the storm and struck on the counter in the 87th minute, as Correa finished off a swift move orchestrated by Conor Gallagher.
Despite a strong second-half display, Valencia remain 18th in La Liga, deep in a relegation battle.
Meanwhile, Villarreal kept up their chase for a top-four finish with a 1-0 victory at Rayo Vallecano, thanks to Ayoze Perez’s second-half strike.
Atletico will now await results from their title rivals, as Barcelona visit Las Palmas, while Real Madrid host Girona on Sunday in a top-of-the-table showdown.
