Atletico Madrid improve to 5th in Spanish league standings with 2-0 win at Osasuna

MADRID: Atletico Madrid kept the momentum going from their win against rivals Real Madrid by beating Osasuna 2-0 in the Spanish league on Thursday.

Antoine Griezmann and Rodrigo Riquelme scored a goal in each half for Atletico, who are in fifth place and right outside the Champions League spots.

Atletico beat Madrid 3-1 at home on Sunday, with Griezmann scoring one of the goals for Diego Simeone’s team.

“It was important not to get caught up with what happened against Real Madrid and to come here to win,” Griezmann said. “We are improving and we have to keep working to keep improving.”

Atletico have a game in hand after their match against Sevilla earlier this month was postponed because of storms in Madrid.

Griezmann opened the scoring with a shot from a tight angle in the 20th minute, and Riquelme sealed the victory in a breakaway in the 81st, not long after Osasuna had a goal disallowed because of a controversial foul on a defender inside the area in the 75th. Osasuna coach Jagoba Arrasate was sent off for complaining about the referee’s decision.

Both teams played with 10 men from the 85th after Osasuna’s Chimy Ávila and Atletico’s Álvaro Morata were sent off following an altercation between them. Spanish media said the two continued arguing with each other heatedly on their way to the locker rooms at El Sadar Stadium.

The result extended Osasuna’s winless streak to five matches in all competitions. They dropped to 14th place with the loss, the third at home in the league.

Before beating Madrid, Atletico were coming off a draw at Lazio in the group stage of the Champions League and a 3-0 loss at Valencia in the Spanish league.

In other results, Real Betis’ winless run reached four matches in all