Julián Álvarez scored his first La Liga goal in eight months as Atlético Madrid beat Deportivo 1-0 to climb to within two points of leaders Barcelona. The Argentina forward, involved in a contentious transfer saga this summer, netted early in the second half during his first league start of the season. The goal was enough as Atlético extended their unbeaten run to eight matches before Barcelona face Real Madrid in Sunday's Clásico.
Atlético came under early pressure against Deportivo, with goalkeeper Jan Oblak making crucial saves. Diego Simeone's tactical changes at halftime proved decisive. Álex Baena provided the cross for Álvarez's close-range finish, his second goal in as many matches after scoring the equaliser at Stuttgart midweek. Despite continued pressure, Atlético could not add a second before Deportivo's Kevin Sanchez forced a superb late save from Oblak.
The result keeps Atlético within striking distance of Barcelona at the top of the table, though they remain two points adrift heading into the weekend's decisive El Clásico fixture.
Source: ESPN Soccer · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing