Atleti bests Betis to extend unbeaten run to nine
Atletico Madrid extended its unbeaten run in LaLiga to nine matches with a 2-0 victory over Real Betis, courtesy of a pair of stunning goals from Giuliano Simeone and Alex Baena.
The win lifted Atleti to fourth in the standings on 19 points, one behind third-placed Villarreal and three adrift of Barcelona in second. Real Madrid sits comfortably at the top with 27 points, while Betis is sixth on 16 points.
Atleti made a bright start on a rainy evening in Seville, opening the scoring in the third minute with a superb low strike on the volley from Simeone.
It extended the lead on a counter-attack, with Alex Baena curling home a fine finish into the top corner in added time before the break.
Betis came out with renewed energy in the second half, with Abde Ezzalzouli going closest when his free kick struck the crossbar in the 58th minute. However, Atleti managed to withstand the pressure and saw out the match to secure a valuable three points.
