Atletico Madrid lifted the La Liga title on Saturday, when Luis Suarez won them 2–1 at Real Valladolid, earning them the Spanish Championship for the first time in seven years. Valladolid took the lead in 18 minutes, as Oscar Plano broke from the left and placed a 1-0 shot beyond the reach of the outstretched keeper.
As he did in a comeback win over Osasuna last week, Atletico missed a number of clear chances, but equalized after a moment of magic from Angel Correa, who danced his way through the defense in the 57th minute.
Suarez then threw a ball from the Valladolid defense to score in the 67th and put Atletico on the way to winning the title, regardless of anything in Real Madrid’s home game at Villarreal. Valladolid missed a number of clear chances at the other end, while Geoffrey Kondogbia missed a chance that would have given Atletico a more restful end.
Real Madrid ended up fighting back with a goal to defeat Villarreal 2–1, which meant that if Valladolid had equalized thanks to a better face-to-face record, they would have taken the title from Atletico’s hands.
However, Diego Simeon’s team saw victory and celebrated fiercely on the field. Suarez said, “Despite all the difficulties, Atlético’s season was incredible. We were the most consistent team and we are champions. “
Atletico’s manager Simeon said, “The world is going through a different phase right now, so if we can give people some happiness, it means a lot to us. I think thirty-two players were involved, each as important as the other. I am very grateful. “
The game was played behind closed doors, as in all Atlético matches this season, although several hundred fans cheered him on from outside the stadium. Atletico topped the table with 86 points, while Real finished second with 84 points. Valladolid finished 19th and moved to Spain’s second division.
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