Barcelona
Antoine Griezmann came off the bench to score twice and inspire Atletico Madrid to a 3-1 win over Levante on Saturday, keeping Diego Simeone’s men firmly in the La Liga title chase. Villarreal, meanwhile, climbed to second place after easing past Espanyol 2-0 away from home.
Atletico, unbeaten in 11 league games, took the lead in the 12th minute when Pablo Barrios’ cross-shot deflected off Levante defender Adrian de la Fuente and into the net. The visitors equalized soon after as Manu Sanchez headed in from a corner. With the game finely poised, Simeone turned to his talisman Griezmann just after the hour mark — and the veteran Frenchman made an immediate impact.
Only 28 seconds after coming on, Griezmann restored Atletico’s lead by tapping in Marcos Llorente’s cutback — the fastest goal by a substitute in La Liga over the past decade. He added a second in the 80th minute, reacting quickest after Julian Alvarez’s shot was parried by Mathew Ryan. A late Levante goal was ruled out for offside, sealing Atletico’s victory and moving them level on points with Barcelona.
“It’s hard for us to find solutions sometimes, but those who come off the bench bring a spark,” Griezmann said after the match. “I have big shoes to fill, but I’m always ready when the team needs me.”
At the RCDE Stadium, Villarreal responded to their midweek Champions League loss with a confident performance. Gerard Moreno curled home a first-half strike against his former club, before Alberto Moleiro doubled the advantage early in the second half.
The result lifted Villarreal within four points of leaders Real Madrid, while Atletico’s resurgence ensures La Liga’s title race remains tightly poised.
