Borussia Dortmund cruised past Atletico Madrid 4-0 in their Champions League match on Wednesday with two goals from substitute Raphael Guerreiro helping propel them to the top of Group A.

The Germans, unbeaten in all competitions so far this season but without injured in-form striker Paco Alcacer, grabbed the lead through Axel Witsel in the 38th minute with a slightly deflected effort.

Apart from an Antoine Griezmann effort, Atletico never threatened in the first half, but came out battling after the break with Saul Niguez rattling the crossbar with a curled shot in the 52nd.

Saul had another three chances in the following minutes as Atletico seemingly edged closer to an equaliser and kept the Germans on the backfoot.

But Dortmund timed their second goal to perfection to take some of the pressure off, with substitute Guerreiro, who had come on in the 63rd, tapping in from close range from an Achraf Hakimi pass.

Hakimi then delivered another assist for another substitute Jadon Sancho to grab Dortmund's third with his first European goal in the 83rd before Guerreiro completed their victory with his second of the evening six minutes later.

Atletico had hit the woodwork for the second time in the 78th minute but had to accept a crushing loss, their first Champions League defeat of the season.

Dortmund, who have yet to concede a goal in the competition, are top on nine points from three games, with Atletico second on six.

Borussia Dortmund cruised past Atletico Madrid 4-0 in their Champions League match on Wednesday with two goals from substitute Raphael Guerreiro helping propel them to the top of Group A.

Borussia Dortmund cruised past Atletico Madrid 4-0 in their Champions League match on Wednesday with two goals from substitute Raphael Guerreiro helping propel them to the top of Group A. The Germans, unbeaten in all competitions so far this season but without injured in-form striker Paco Alcacer, grabbed the lead through Axel Witsel in the 38th minute with a slightly deflected effort. Apart from an Antoine Griezmann effort, Atletico never threatened in the first half, but came out battling after the break with Saul Niguez rattling the crossbar with a curled shot in the 52nd. Saul had another three chances in the following minutes as Atletico seemingly edged closer to an equaliser and kept the Germans on the backfoot. But Dortmund timed their second goal to perfection to take some of the pressure off, with substitute Guerreiro, who had come on in the 63rd, tapping in from close range from an Achraf Hakimi pass. Hakimi then delivered another assist for another substitute Jadon Sancho to grab Dortmund's third with his first European goal in the 83rd before Guerreiro completed their victory with his second of the evening six minutes later. Atletico had hit the woodwork for the second time in the 78th minute but had to accept a crushing loss, their first Champions League defeat of the season. Dortmund, who have yet to concede a goal in the competition, are top on nine points from three games, with Atletico second on six.

Sparkling Dortmund crush Atletico 4-0 to top Group A

Barcelona slipped up for the third time in a week but stay top of La Liga after Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid cancelled each other out at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.

Real and Atletico began a pulsating derby less than three hours after Barca had scrambled to a 1-1 draw at home to Athletic Bilbao, but goalkeepers reigned supreme in the capital to ensure the grudge match finished goalless.

It means Real second, level on points with Barcelona, while Atletico are just two behind in fourth. Sevilla are third.&nbsp;

Gareth Bale had to be substituted at half-time with what the club confirmed was a thigh strain and is a doubt for the European champions ahead of their visit to CSKA Moscow on Tuesday. Bale will be assessed on Sunday.&nbsp;

It was a scenario Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde tried to avoid before his side's visit to Tottenham on Wednesday by resting Lionel Messi at the Camp Nou.

But the Argentine was needed in the second half after Oscar de Marcos gave Bilbao a deserved lead. Munir El Haddadi snatched Barca a point, diverting in Messi's shot with six minutes left.

After drawing at home to Girona and being beaten by Leganes, Barcelona head to Wembley to face Spurs short of rhythm and lacking confidence.

Barcelona will be without Sergi Roberto for the Champions League Group B clash after it was confirmed he had picked up a thigh strain.

The last time Bilbao took a point at the Camp Nou in 2004, Valverde was sitting in the away team's dugout during his first spell as Bilbao coach.&nbsp;

He faced questions after his bold decision to rest Messi with Tottenham in mind, along with Sergio Busquets.&nbsp;

"Leaving Messi on the bench is absolutely my responsibility," Valverde said. "He has four games in 10 days and I think it's good for Leo to rest, like Busquets, thinking of the Champions League.&nbsp;

"I know it was the right decision. It was a risk and on this occasion, it didn't come off."

'Intense' match

Lack of rotation was chief among the criticisms levelled at Valverde after Barcelona crashed out of the Champions League quarter-finals last season, with Luis Suarez admitting he regretted playing 90 minutes three days before the collapse against Roma.&nbsp;

Valverde has certainly acted. Of the preferred 11 that started a 4-0 win over PSV Eindhoven two weeks ago, eight started at least one of the three games since on the bench. Seven of those were required to come on as substitutes.

"We can't expect Messi just to come on and fix things," Suarez said. "We should have won the game before he came on, that's why we are Barca."

Real and Atletico face midweek Champions League matches away to CSKA Moscow and home to Club Brugge respectively, but there was no letting up on their part.

Thibaut Courtois came back to haunt his former club and Jan Oblak showed why he is considered arguably the finest goalkeeper in the world.&nbsp;

Courtois spent three seasons at Atletico on loan from Chelsea but this was his first Madrid derby for Real. He made the most of it, saving when both Antoine Griezmann and Diego Costa had only the Belgian to beat.&nbsp;

Bale could have won it for Real too but he sidefooted wide from close range towards the end of the first half and then had to be replaced.

Barca might feel spared but Real and Atletico seemed satisfied at the final whistle. Atleti maintained their resurgence after a miserable start to the season while Real steadied the ship following their hammering at Sevilla on Wednesday.&nbsp;

"We have not won because we didn't score but overall we have been very superior," Real Madrid boss Julen Lopetegui said.&nbsp;

"The match was intense," added Atletico manager Diego Simeone. "We had chances through Griezmann and Costa but they were saved by Courtois. It's a pity because we wanted to win but we leave with a good result."

Barcelona slipped up for the third time in a week but stay top of La Liga after Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid cancelled each other out at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.

Barcelona slipped up for the third time in a week but stay top of La Liga after Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid cancelled each other out at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday. Real and Atletico began a pulsating derby less than three hours after Barca had scrambled to a 1-1 draw at home to Athletic Bilbao, but goalkeepers reigned supreme in the capital to ensure the grudge match finished goalless. It means Real second, level on points with Barcelona, while Atletico are just two behind in fourth. Sevilla are third. Gareth Bale had to be substituted at half-time with what the club confirmed was a thigh strain and is a doubt for the European champions ahead of their visit to CSKA Moscow on Tuesday. Bale will be assessed on Sunday. It was a scenario Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde tried to avoid before his side's visit to Tottenham on Wednesday by resting Lionel Messi at the Camp Nou. But the Argentine was needed in the second half after Oscar de Marcos gave Bilbao a deserved lead. Munir El Haddadi snatched Barca a point, diverting in Messi's shot with six minutes left. After drawing at home to Girona and being beaten by Leganes, Barcelona head to Wembley to face Spurs short of rhythm and lacking confidence. Barcelona will be without Sergi Roberto for the Champions League Group B clash after it was confirmed he had picked up a thigh strain. The last time Bilbao took a point at the Camp Nou in 2004, Valverde was sitting in the away team's dugout during his first spell as Bilbao coach. He faced questions after his bold decision to rest Messi with Tottenham in mind, along with Sergio Busquets. "Leaving Messi on the bench is absolutely my responsibility," Valverde said. "He has four games in 10 days and I think it's good for Leo to rest, like Busquets, thinking of the Champions League. "I know it was the right decision. It was a risk and on this occasion, it didn't come off." 'Intense' match Lack of rotation was chief among the criticisms levelled at Valverde after Barcelona crashed out of the Champions League quarter-finals last season, with Luis Suarez admitting he regretted playing 90 minutes three days before the collapse against Roma. Valverde has certainly acted. Of the preferred 11 that started a 4-0 win over PSV Eindhoven two weeks ago, eight started at least one of the three games since on the bench. Seven of those were required to come on as substitutes. "We can't expect Messi just to come on and fix things," Suarez said. "We should have won the game before he came on, that's why we are Barca." Real and Atletico face midweek Champions League matches away to CSKA Moscow and home to Club Brugge respectively, but there was no letting up on their part. Thibaut Courtois came back to haunt his former club and Jan Oblak showed why he is considered arguably the finest goalkeeper in the world. Courtois spent three seasons at Atletico on loan from Chelsea but this was his first Madrid derby for Real. He made the most of it, saving when both Antoine Griezmann and Diego Costa had only the Belgian to beat. Bale could have won it for Real too but he sidefooted wide from close range towards the end of the first half and then had to be replaced. Barca might feel spared but Real and Atletico seemed satisfied at the final whistle. Atleti maintained their resurgence after a miserable start to the season while Real steadied the ship following their hammering at Sevilla on Wednesday. "We have not won because we didn't score but overall we have been very superior," Real Madrid boss Julen Lopetegui said. "The match was intense," added Atletico manager Diego Simeone. "We had chances through Griezmann and Costa but they were saved by Courtois. It's a pity because we wanted to win but we leave with a good result."

LaLiga wrap: Barca stay top after Real and Atletico share derby spoils

Marco Asensio's strike earned Real Madrid a 1-0 win over Espanyol to send them top of La Liga and Thomas Lemar scored his first goal for Atletico Madrid in a 2-0 victory at Getafe on Saturday.

Julen Lopetegui's Real were tested by Espanyol at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Borja Iglesias hitting the crossbar, but held on for the victory.

After an emphatic Champions League win over AS Roma on Wednesday, Lopetegui shuffled his pack for the visit of Espanyol, sixth in the table after a good start to the season.

The coach rested Gareth Bale, Marcelo and Toni Kroos, handing a debut to defender Alvaro Odriozola in place of the injured Dani Carvajal.

Real dominated possession but Espanyol were a persistent threat on the break.

"(The clean sheet) was really important for us, we don't want to let in goals," Real defender Raphael Varane said. "Espanyol played very well but we played as a team and did not concede."

The hosts took the lead four minutes before the break, when Luka Modric's pass took a triple deflection but found its way to Asensio, who steered home his first goal in La Liga this season.

The forward had to wait for VAR to prove he was onside before he could celebrate.

Espanyol forward Iglesias robbed Real captain Sergio Ramos after the break and chipped Courtois, but his effort bounced back off the crossbar.

"We're furious (about losing), we had chances to score," Iglesias said. "I saw (Courtois) off his line and shot but it hit the crossbar. Maybe next time it will go in."

Real held on despite late Espanyol pressure to take top spot before second-placed Barcelona host Girona on Sunday in a Catalan derby.

Atletico's comfortable victory at Getafe eased nerves after a stuttering start to the season during which they gathered five points from their first four games.

French winger Lemar struck the crossbar with a powerful long-range effort and the ball bounced back, hitting Soria and crossing the line, to send Atletico ahead after 14 minutes.

The visitors struggled to create openings at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez but Lemar put the finishing touch to a quick counter-attack after an hour to net his first goal since his close-season move from Monaco.

Getafe winger Ivan Alejo was sent off for an apparent stamp just four minutes after coming on as a substitute, leaving Atletico to cruise to victory and climb to fifth in the table.

"I wasn't nervous at all when they started to criticise us two weeks ago, as if everything was lost and we were dead, and now we are the best in the world," said Atletico defender Juanfran.

"Our people, our fans have to know that this Atletico Madrid team will always show up, whether or not results go our way, and they are, bit by bit."

Rayo Vallecano were thrashed 5-1 by third-placed Alaves at Vallecas after Abdoulaye Ba was sent off in the first half.

Ba became the first player in Spanish football to be dismissed after VAR flagged an off-the-ball incident, with the officials deciding he elbowed Jonathan Calleri.

Villarreal earned a 3-3 draw at Real Sociedad thanks to Leo Suarez's equaliser in the final minute of stoppage time while Eibar edged Leganes 1-0.

Marco Asensio's strike earned Real Madrid a 1-0 win over Espanyol to send them top of La Liga and Thomas Lemar scored his first goal for Atletico Madrid in a 2-0 victory at Getafe on Saturday.

Marco Asensio's strike earned Real Madrid a 1-0 win over Espanyol to send them top of La Liga and Thomas Lemar scored his first goal for Atletico Madrid in a 2-0 victory at Getafe on Saturday. Julen Lopetegui's Real were tested by Espanyol at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Borja Iglesias hitting the crossbar, but held on for the victory. After an emphatic Champions League win over AS Roma on Wednesday, Lopetegui shuffled his pack for the visit of Espanyol, sixth in the table after a good start to the season. The coach rested Gareth Bale, Marcelo and Toni Kroos, handing a debut to defender Alvaro Odriozola in place of the injured Dani Carvajal. Real dominated possession but Espanyol were a persistent threat on the break. "(The clean sheet) was really important for us, we don't want to let in goals," Real defender Raphael Varane said. "Espanyol played very well but we played as a team and did not concede." The hosts took the lead four minutes before the break, when Luka Modric's pass took a triple deflection but found its way to Asensio, who steered home his first goal in La Liga this season. The forward had to wait for VAR to prove he was onside before he could celebrate. Espanyol forward Iglesias robbed Real captain Sergio Ramos after the break and chipped Courtois, but his effort bounced back off the crossbar. "We're furious (about losing), we had chances to score," Iglesias said. "I saw (Courtois) off his line and shot but it hit the crossbar. Maybe next time it will go in." Real held on despite late Espanyol pressure to take top spot before second-placed Barcelona host Girona on Sunday in a Catalan derby. Atletico's comfortable victory at Getafe eased nerves after a stuttering start to the season during which they gathered five points from their first four games. French winger Lemar struck the crossbar with a powerful long-range effort and the ball bounced back, hitting Soria and crossing the line, to send Atletico ahead after 14 minutes. The visitors struggled to create openings at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez but Lemar put the finishing touch to a quick counter-attack after an hour to net his first goal since his close-season move from Monaco. Getafe winger Ivan Alejo was sent off for an apparent stamp just four minutes after coming on as a substitute, leaving Atletico to cruise to victory and climb to fifth in the table. "I wasn't nervous at all when they started to criticise us two weeks ago, as if everything was lost and we were dead, and now we are the best in the world," said Atletico defender Juanfran. "Our people, our fans have to know that this Atletico Madrid team will always show up, whether or not results go our way, and they are, bit by bit." Rayo Vallecano were thrashed 5-1 by third-placed Alaves at Vallecas after Abdoulaye Ba was sent off in the first half. Ba became the first player in Spanish football to be dismissed after VAR flagged an off-the-ball incident, with the officials deciding he elbowed Jonathan Calleri. Villarreal earned a 3-3 draw at Real Sociedad thanks to Leo Suarez's equaliser in the final minute of stoppage time while Eibar edged Leganes 1-0.

LaLiga wrap: Real see off gritty Espanyol, Atletico sink Getafe

Europa League winners Atletico Madrid have been charged with "racist behaviour" by UEFA for a banner displayed by fans during their 3-0 win over Olympique de Marseille in the final on Wednesday.

European soccer's governing body said in a statement on Thursday that it had opened proceedings against the Spanish side under Article 14 of its disciplinary regulations.

Marseille and Atletico also face punishment for setting off fireworks during the match.

The French team's famously passionate fans unleashed a whirlwind of flares and firecrackers moments before kickoff and the game began under a thick cloud of smoke.

Atletico set off a small number of flares in their end after each of Antoine Griezmann's two goals while the French supporters engulfed the air with another display of flares, some of which were thrown onto the pitch, near the end of the game.

Marseille fans also caused "acts of damage" at the Groupama Stadium, the home of rivals Olympique Lyonnais and the French club were charged by UEFA after their players returned late to start the second half.

UEFA's Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body will deal with the case on May 31.

Marseille and Atletico also face punishment for setting off fireworks during the match

Europa League winners Atletico Madrid have been charged with "racist behaviour" by UEFA for a banner displayed by fans during their 3-0 win over Olympique de Marseille in the final on Wednesday. European soccer's governing body said in a statement on Thursday that it had opened proceedings against the Spanish side under Article 14 of its disciplinary regulations. Marseille and Atletico also face punishment for setting off fireworks during the match. The French team's famously passionate fans unleashed a whirlwind of flares and firecrackers moments before kickoff and the game began under a thick cloud of smoke. Atletico set off a small number of flares in their end after each of Antoine Griezmann's two goals while the French supporters engulfed the air with another display of flares, some of which were thrown onto the pitch, near the end of the game. Marseille fans also caused "acts of damage" at the Groupama Stadium, the home of rivals Olympique Lyonnais and the French club were charged by UEFA after their players returned late to start the second half. UEFA's Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body will deal with the case on May 31.

Atletico charged by UEFA over 'racist behaviour'

Antoine Griezmann, a talismanic figure at Atletico Madrid, will not enjoy the same status at Barcelona if he joins the Liga champions in the close-season, Atletico chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin has said.

Griezmann stole the headlines by scoring twice as Atletico beat Olympique de Marseille 3-0 in the Europa League final on Wednesday, although his decisive display could be one of his last acts for the club.

Barca can capture the France international for 100 million euros ($118 million) when his buy-out clause is cut in half on July 1.

Gil Marin, however, told him to consider the fact that he would be seen as just another player in Ernesto Valverde's side, where he would line up alongside fellow attackers Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

"He needs to decide if he wants to make history at Atletico where everything is built around him or go to a club where he will never go down in history," Gil Marin told reporters.

"A few days ago I spoke to his sister and agent to make them an offer and they will have to give us an answer in a few days. I don't know what will happen, it's not something he can decide in the heat of the moment after winning the final."

Griezmann's starring role in the final was hailed by Madrid newspaper AS, who headlined their edition on Thursday "Super Griezmann, Super Atletico".

The Frenchman was also lauded by Barcelona-based dailies Mundo Deportivo and Sport, who described him as "colossal" and "magical", rubbing their hands at the prospect of him moving to Barca.

The striker said he would not discuss his future after the final, but added that he had grown ever more fond of Atletico and his teammates in the four years since he joined from Real Sociedad for 25 million euros.

Griezmann was substituted in stoppage time to allow Atletico's long-serving, departing forward Fernando Torres to come on for the final minutes and win his first major trophy for the club.

Spanish media reported Griezmann had volunteered to go off in order to give Torres the chance to play.

Atletico defender Juanfran said the departing veteran striker had warned Griezmann to give careful consideration to his next move.

"In the dressing room Torres said to Griezmann that first of all, he should enjoy the night," Juanfran said. "And then in a couple of days, he should think long and hard about what he does next."

Griezmann stole the headlines by scoring twice as Atletico beat Olympique de Marseille 3-0 in the Europa League final on Wednesday

Antoine Griezmann, a talismanic figure at Atletico Madrid, will not enjoy the same status at Barcelona if he joins the Liga champions in the close-season, Atletico chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin has said. Griezmann stole the headlines by scoring twice as Atletico beat Olympique de Marseille 3-0 in the Europa League final on Wednesday, although his decisive display could be one of his last acts for the club. Barca can capture the France international for 100 million euros ($118 million) when his buy-out clause is cut in half on July 1. Gil Marin, however, told him to consider the fact that he would be seen as just another player in Ernesto Valverde's side, where he would line up alongside fellow attackers Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. "He needs to decide if he wants to make history at Atletico where everything is built around him or go to a club where he will never go down in history," Gil Marin told reporters. "A few days ago I spoke to his sister and agent to make them an offer and they will have to give us an answer in a few days. I don't know what will happen, it's not something he can decide in the heat of the moment after winning the final." Griezmann's starring role in the final was hailed by Madrid newspaper AS, who headlined their edition on Thursday "Super Griezmann, Super Atletico". The Frenchman was also lauded by Barcelona-based dailies Mundo Deportivo and Sport, who described him as "colossal" and "magical", rubbing their hands at the prospect of him moving to Barca. The striker said he would not discuss his future after the final, but added that he had grown ever more fond of Atletico and his teammates in the four years since he joined from Real Sociedad for 25 million euros. Griezmann was substituted in stoppage time to allow Atletico's long-serving, departing forward Fernando Torres to come on for the final minutes and win his first major trophy for the club. Spanish media reported Griezmann had volunteered to go off in order to give Torres the chance to play. Atletico defender Juanfran said the departing veteran striker had warned Griezmann to give careful consideration to his next move. "In the dressing room Torres said to Griezmann that first of all, he should enjoy the night," Juanfran said. "And then in a couple of days, he should think long and hard about what he does next."

Griezmann warned he will 'never go down in history' at Barcelona

Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil is not expected to return for the remaining two games of the Premier League season due to a back injury but the German is confident he will be fit for the World Cup.

Ozil, who played in Arsenal's 1-0 Europa League semi-final second leg defeat at Atletico Madrid last week, watched from the stands as Arsenal thrashed Burnley 5-0 at the weekend.

He wrote on Twitter that it was a "pity" he missed Sunday's match due to the injury.

"It'll need some time but I'm sure I'll fully recover in time for the World Cup," he added.

Arsenal wraps up the season against Leicester City on Wednesday and Huddersfield Town on Sunday.

Defending champions Germany begin their World Cup campaign in Russia against Mexico on June 17.

Ozil, who played in Arsenal's 1-0 Europa League semi-final second leg defeat at Atletico Madrid last week, watched from the stands as Arsenal thrashed Burnley 5-0 at the weekend

Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil is not expected to return for the remaining two games of the Premier League season due to a back injury but the German is confident he will be fit for the World Cup. Ozil, who played in Arsenal's 1-0 Europa League semi-final second leg defeat at Atletico Madrid last week, watched from the stands as Arsenal thrashed Burnley 5-0 at the weekend. He wrote on Twitter that it was a "pity" he missed Sunday's match due to the injury. "It'll need some time but I'm sure I'll fully recover in time for the World Cup," he added. Arsenal wraps up the season against Leicester City on Wednesday and Huddersfield Town on Sunday. Defending champions Germany begin their World Cup campaign in Russia against Mexico on June 17.

Mesut Ozil out with a back injury but expects to be fit for World Cup

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has called on UEFA to change the away-goals rule, suggesting sides playing the second leg away have an unfair advantage under current regulations.

The Argentine, who was sent off in the first leg of Atletico’s 2-1 aggregate Europa League semi-final victory over Arsenal, received a four-game suspension from European&nbspsoccer’s governing body for the incident which led to him being sent to the stands.

Simeone, 48, has served the first match of the ban and local media reported that he will contest the punishment, which if upheld would mean he cannot sit in the dugout during the final against Olympique de Marseille on May 16 in Lyon.

“UEFA needs to have a look at how difficult it is to play the second leg at home, with your opponent having 30 extra minutes in which one of their goals counts double when as the home side you don’t have this advantage," Simeone told a news conference on Saturday.

“I invite those within sporting justice to have a look at this. There’s no reason that the side playing the second leg away from home should have 30 extra minutes and the chance to score a more valuable goal.

“I’m sure they’re very capable of seeing it and it’d help it be more even for everyone because if not, injustices start to appear.”

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has called on UEFA to change the away-goals rule, suggesting sides playing the second leg away have an unfair advantage under current regulations

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has called on UEFA to change the away-goals rule, suggesting sides playing the second leg away have an unfair advantage under current regulations. The Argentine, who was sent off in the first leg of Atletico’s 2-1 aggregate Europa League semi-final victory over Arsenal, received a four-game suspension from European&nbspsoccer’s governing body for the incident which led to him being sent to the stands. Simeone, 48, has served the first match of the ban and local media reported that he will contest the punishment, which if upheld would mean he cannot sit in the dugout during the final against Olympique de Marseille on May 16 in Lyon. “UEFA needs to have a look at how difficult it is to play the second leg at home, with your opponent having 30 extra minutes in which one of their goals counts double when as the home side you don’t have this advantage," Simeone told a news conference on Saturday. “I invite those within sporting justice to have a look at this. There’s no reason that the side playing the second leg away from home should have 30 extra minutes and the chance to score a more valuable goal. “I’m sure they’re very capable of seeing it and it’d help it be more even for everyone because if not, injustices start to appear.”

Diego Simeone calls on UEFA to change away-goals rule

Diego Costa denied Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger a winning farewell as Atletico Madrid beat the London club 1-0 in the Europa League semi-final second leg at the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid on Thursday night.

Atletico victory was sweeter as coach Diego Simeone sat out the match after being banned for his rant at the Emirates but Argentine assistant German 'Mono' Burgos did not let things slip.

Atletico won the tie on a 2-1 aggregate advantage and will now take on Olympique de Marseille in the final at Lyon on May 16th.

The Spanish side controlled the match for most parts as Arsenal without Koscielny struggled against Costa and &nbsp;Griezmann's star power.

Arsenal were dwelt a huge blow after French international Laurent Koscielny was carried off the field with a suspected Achilles tendon injury.

"A very intense game between two teams that who gave absolutely everything. I would say the team who won tonight is Atletico Madrid, congratulations to them, good luck in the final," Arsenal coach Wenger said after the match.

"I would say the winner of tonight's game is a clear favourite to win the competition," the outgoing Arsenal coach added.

"These&nbsp;kind of games write history and obviously stadiums begin to become a stronghold with important triumphs and decisive moments of the teams at certain stages,"&nbsp;Atletico coach Diego Simeone said, adding,"today, from where I had to view it I could felt what a fan feels. It is an extraordinary stadium."

In the other semi-final, Olympique de Marseille's defender Rolando helped his team clinch the final berth by striking late in&nbsp;extra time to set up victory over Salzburg in the second leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday.

Olympique de Marseille went through with a &nbsp;3-2 on aggregate after a spirited Salzburg won the second leg 2-1.

Atletico victory was sweeter as coach Diego Simeone sat out the match after being banned for his rant

Diego Costa denied Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger a winning farewell as Atletico Madrid beat the London club 1-0 in the Europa League semi-final second leg at the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid on Thursday night. Atletico victory was sweeter as coach Diego Simeone sat out the match after being banned for his rant at the Emirates but Argentine assistant German 'Mono' Burgos did not let things slip. Atletico won the tie on a 2-1 aggregate advantage and will now take on Olympique de Marseille in the final at Lyon on May 16th. The Spanish side controlled the match for most parts as Arsenal without Koscielny struggled against Costa and Griezmann's star power. Arsenal were dwelt a huge blow after French international Laurent Koscielny was carried off the field with a suspected Achilles tendon injury. "A very intense game between two teams that who gave absolutely everything. I would say the team who won tonight is Atletico Madrid, congratulations to them, good luck in the final," Arsenal coach Wenger said after the match. "I would say the winner of tonight's game is a clear favourite to win the competition," the outgoing Arsenal coach added. "These kind of games write history and obviously stadiums begin to become a stronghold with important triumphs and decisive moments of the teams at certain stages," Atletico coach Diego Simeone said, adding,"today, from where I had to view it I could felt what a fan feels. It is an extraordinary stadium." In the other semi-final, Olympique de Marseille's defender Rolando helped his team clinch the final berth by striking late in extra time to set up victory over Salzburg in the second leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday. Olympique de Marseille went through with a 3-2 on aggregate after a spirited Salzburg won the second leg 2-1.

Europa League: Wenger denied final flourish as Atletico Madrid's Costa outlasts Arsenal

Arsenal midfielder Alex Iwobi has played down injury fears and is hopeful he can regain full fitness for Thursday`s Europa League semi-final second-leg against Atletico Madrid.

The 21-year-old Nigeria international played 90 minutes during Arsenal`s 2-1 defeat at Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday but Wenger said after the match Iwobi was struggling with a hamstring injury.

Iwobi says, "I believe it is very good. I am still being assessed but to me it is good and I will be okay," the report says.&nbsp;

"We will have to wait and see but I believe I will be okay and fit (for Atletico)."

Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina (rib) and midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan (knee) are also doubtful for the trip to Madrid after picking up injuries at Old Trafford.

The north London club needs a win at Atletico`s Wanda Metropolitano stadium to reach the final after the two teams played out a 1-1 draw at the Emirates last week.

Goalkeeper David Ospina and midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan are also doubtful for the trip to Madrid after picking up injuries at Old Trafford

Arsenal midfielder Alex Iwobi has played down injury fears and is hopeful he can regain full fitness for Thursday`s Europa League semi-final second-leg against Atletico Madrid. The 21-year-old Nigeria international played 90 minutes during Arsenal`s 2-1 defeat at Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday but Wenger said after the match Iwobi was struggling with a hamstring injury. Iwobi says, "I believe it is very good. I am still being assessed but to me it is good and I will be okay," the report says. "We will have to wait and see but I believe I will be okay and fit (for Atletico)." Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina (rib) and midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan (knee) are also doubtful for the trip to Madrid after picking up injuries at Old Trafford. The north London club needs a win at Atletico`s Wanda Metropolitano stadium to reach the final after the two teams played out a 1-1 draw at the Emirates last week.

Arsenal's Iwobi confident of being fit for Atletico clash

Outgoing Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said he was left with a 'bitter taste' after his side failed to beat an Atletico Madrid side which played for ten men for almost 80 minutes in their Europa League semi-final leg on Thursday.

Arsenal were given a huge boost after 10 minutes when Atletico defender Sime Vrsaljko was sent off for stamping on Alexandre Lacazette's foot, and Atletico coach Diego Simeone was sent to the stands for his furious reaction to the decision.

The Premier League side dominated possession but missed a number of clear chances, with Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak making several fine saves before Lacazette broke the deadlock in the 61st minute.

The French forward headed Jack Wilshere's cross down into the corner of the net to give manager Arsene Wenger hope of winning a trophy in his last season at the club and taking his last chance to get the team back into the Champions League.

Atletico seized back the initiative in the 82nd minute, however, when Griezmann sped past Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny, collected his rebounded shot off keeper David Ospina and calmly lifted the ball into the roof of the net.

"We come out tonight with a bitter taste," Wenger told reporters after the penultimate home game of his 22-year reign at Arsenal.

"You have to stay 1-0 up and after that everything is open," the Frenchman added. "We created the anticlimax by giving away the goal."

Wilshere also rued the missed chances for Arsenal, who are playing in their first European semi-final in nine years. Atletico have reached the Champions League final twice in the last four years and won the Europa League in 2010 and 2012.

The teams head to Madrid for the second leg next week when Atletico, second in Spain's La Liga, should be able to recall talismanic striker Diego Costa who scored three times against Arsenal in six games while he was at Chelsea.

Simeone praised the courage of his players.

"They are basically heroes," the Argentine said. "They stood firm for eighty-something minutes.

"The team responded to the red card with some fantastic defensive work and I think that will go down in the history of Atletico Madrid."

The Premier League side dominated possession but missed a number of clear chances, with Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak making several fine saves before Lacazette broke the deadlock in the 61st minute

Outgoing Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said he was left with a 'bitter taste' after his side failed to beat an Atletico Madrid side which played for ten men for almost 80 minutes in their Europa League semi-final leg on Thursday. Arsenal were given a huge boost after 10 minutes when Atletico defender Sime Vrsaljko was sent off for stamping on Alexandre Lacazette's foot, and Atletico coach Diego Simeone was sent to the stands for his furious reaction to the decision. The Premier League side dominated possession but missed a number of clear chances, with Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak making several fine saves before Lacazette broke the deadlock in the 61st minute. The French forward headed Jack Wilshere's cross down into the corner of the net to give manager Arsene Wenger hope of winning a trophy in his last season at the club and taking his last chance to get the team back into the Champions League. Atletico seized back the initiative in the 82nd minute, however, when Griezmann sped past Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny, collected his rebounded shot off keeper David Ospina and calmly lifted the ball into the roof of the net. "We come out tonight with a bitter taste," Wenger told reporters after the penultimate home game of his 22-year reign at Arsenal. "You have to stay 1-0 up and after that everything is open," the Frenchman added. "We created the anticlimax by giving away the goal." Wilshere also rued the missed chances for Arsenal, who are playing in their first European semi-final in nine years. Atletico have reached the Champions League final twice in the last four years and won the Europa League in 2010 and 2012. The teams head to Madrid for the second leg next week when Atletico, second in Spain's La Liga, should be able to recall talismanic striker Diego Costa who scored three times against Arsenal in six games while he was at Chelsea. Simeone praised the courage of his players. "They are basically heroes," the Argentine said. "They stood firm for eighty-something minutes. "The team responded to the red card with some fantastic defensive work and I think that will go down in the history of Atletico Madrid."

Arsene Wenger's 'bitter taste' after Atletico Madrid draw, Simeone praises his 'heroes'

Real Madrid is up against Juventus in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League and already leading 3-0 by registering an easy victory in the 1st leg.

In the first leg&nbsp;match, Real's star player Cristiano Ronaldo stunned the opponents and scored a sensational overhead bicycle kick. He architected the Real Madrid's win over Serie A leaders Juventus. For his stunning goal, he earned a standing ovation from the Juventus fans as he left the pitch. Also, the goal became one of the most shared UEFA Champions League moments on Twitter.

Now, again he was seen practising the same shot during the training session ahead of Atletico Madrid clash. It seems he got some massive plans for&nbsp;Atletico.

Watch here:

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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BhRSUjyBORZ/" style=" color:#000 font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px font-style:normal font-weight:normal line-height:17px text-decoration:none word-wrap:break-word" target="_blank">AGAIN ? OTRA VEZ ? @Cristiano</a>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px line-height:17px margin-bottom:0 margin-top:8px overflow:hidden padding:8px 0 7px text-align:center text-overflow:ellipsis white-space:nowrap">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/realmadrid/" style=" color:#c9c8cd font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px font-style:normal font-weight:normal line-height:17px" target="_blank"> Real Madrid C.F. ?</a> (@realmadrid) on <time datetime="2018-04-07T13:01:02+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px line-height:17px">Apr 7, 2018 at 6:01am PDT</time>
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AGAIN ? <a href="https://twitter.com/Cristiano?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Cristiano</a> <a href="https://t.co/u40317IWpf">pic.twitter.com/u40317IWpf</a>
— Real Madrid C.F.???? (@realmadriden) <a href="https://twitter.com/realmadriden/status/982602031662813185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Gianluigi Buffon was astounded by the visitors as Juve does not have the tendency to let in many goals but suffered a tragic defeat it the first leg. Now, the chances of reaching across the deficit are very less.

For Ronaldo's breathtaking goal, Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane appreciated him and said, "You can say he's one of the most beautiful players in the history of football."

Watch the incredible goal here:

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Cristiano Ronaldo is a man among boys <a href="https://t.co/d0BAkwOxzM">pic.twitter.com/d0BAkwOxzM</a>
— Athlete Tweets™ (@AthleteTweetsO) <a href="https://twitter.com/AthleteTweetsO/status/981304696030642176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Real Madrid will face Atletico Madrid on Sunday evening and after that, the team will meet Juventus on April 12 in the second leg of UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

Real will take on Athletico Madrid Sunday evening at 7:45 pm IST

Real Madrid is up against Juventus in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League and already leading 3-0 by registering an easy victory in the 1st leg. In the first leg match, Real's star player Cristiano Ronaldo stunned the opponents and scored a sensational overhead bicycle kick. He architected the Real Madrid's win over Serie A leaders Juventus. For his stunning goal, he earned a standing ovation from the Juventus fans as he left the pitch. Also, the goal became one of the most shared UEFA Champions League moments on Twitter. Now, again he was seen practising the same shot during the training session ahead of Atletico Madrid clash. It seems he got some massive plans for Atletico. Watch here: AGAIN ? OTRA VEZ ? @Cristiano A post shared by Real Madrid C.F. ? (@realmadrid) on Apr 7, 2018 at 6:01am PDT × AGAIN ? @Cristiano pic.twitter.com/u40317IWpf — Real Madrid C.F.???? (@realmadriden) April 7, 2018 × Gianluigi Buffon was astounded by the visitors as Juve does not have the tendency to let in many goals but suffered a tragic defeat it the first leg. Now, the chances of reaching across the deficit are very less. For Ronaldo's breathtaking goal, Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane appreciated him and said, "You can say he's one of the most beautiful players in the history of football." Watch the incredible goal here: Cristiano Ronaldo is a man among boys pic.twitter.com/d0BAkwOxzM — Athlete Tweets™ (@AthleteTweetsO) April 3, 2018 × Real Madrid will face Atletico Madrid on Sunday evening and after that, the team will meet Juventus on April 12 in the second leg of UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

Watch: After scoring with it, Cristiano Ronaldo practises bicycle kick

Atletico Madrid forward Fernando Torres scored twice as his side steamrolled Lokomotiv Moscow 5-1 in freezing conditions in Russia on Thursday to stroll into the Europa League quarter-finals 8-1 on aggregate.

The Spaniards had a 3-0 advantage from the first leg and Angel Correa promptly stretched their lead in the tie with an arrowed low finish into the far corner in the 16th minute after dribbling his way through the hosts&#39; defence.

Polish full back Maciej Rybus levelled for Lokomotiv four minutes later with a stunning long-range strike but Atletico&#39;s passage to the last eight was rarely in doubt and Saul Niguez put them back in front early in the second half.

Torres converted from the penalty spot to score for the first time since Jan. 28 and struck again five minutes later before substitute Antoine Griezmann completed the rout with an outrageous chipped shot from just inside the area.

The Spaniards had a 3-0 advantage from the first leg

Atletico Madrid forward Fernando Torres scored twice as his side steamrolled Lokomotiv Moscow 5-1 in freezing conditions in Russia on Thursday to stroll into the Europa League quarter-finals 8-1 on aggregate. The Spaniards had a 3-0 advantage from the first leg and Angel Correa promptly stretched their lead in the tie with an arrowed low finish into the far corner in the 16th minute after dribbling his way through the hosts' defence. Polish full back Maciej Rybus levelled for Lokomotiv four minutes later with a stunning long-range strike but Atletico's passage to the last eight was rarely in doubt and Saul Niguez put them back in front early in the second half. Torres converted from the penalty spot to score for the first time since Jan. 28 and struck again five minutes later before substitute Antoine Griezmann completed the rout with an outrageous chipped shot from just inside the area.

Europa League: Torres strikes twice as Atletico Madrid smash Lokomotiv Moscow

In-form Antoine Griezmann scored one goal and made another as Atletico Madrid cruised to a 3-0 win over Celta Vigo in La Liga on Sunday, consolidating their grip on second place.

Griezmann opened the scoring just before the break at the Wanda Metropolitano with his 16th goal of the season in La Liga, his 11th in the last nine games.

The France star, who continues to be linked with a summer move to Barcelona, then set up Vitolo to make it 2-0 before Angel Correa, on as a substitute, wrapped up the points for Diego Simeone&#39;s side.

It was a seventh win in eight La Liga outings for Atletico, the exception being last weekend&#39;s 1-0 loss at Barcelona.

As a result, the 2014 champions remain eight points behind league leaders Barca, but they are seven clear of Real Madrid in third.

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⏱ 93&#39; | 3-0 | ➕3⃣ &iexcl;FINAAAAL! &iexcl;Los tres puntos se quedan en el Wanda <a href="https://twitter.com/Metropolitano?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Metropolitano</a>! ????⚪???? 
44&#39; ⚽ <a href="https://twitter.com/AntoGriezmann?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AntoGriezmann</a> 
56&#39; ⚽ <a href="https://twitter.com/VitoloMachin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VitoloMachin</a> 
63&#39; ⚽ <a href="https://twitter.com/AngelCorrea32?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AngelCorrea32</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AtletiCelta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AtletiCelta</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/A%C3%BApaAtleti?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#A&uacute;paAtleti</a> <a href="https://t.co/DAlU8rSTDy">pic.twitter.com/DAlU8rSTDy</a>
&mdash; Atl&eacute;tico de Madrid (@Atleti) <a href="https://twitter.com/Atleti/status/972880905936220160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&quot;There is still a long way to go. We take things one game at a time and we will try to continue that way,&quot; said Simeone of his side&#39;s title chances.

&quot;My desire is to be in with a chance with five games left. Then we will be able to speak about something more.&quot;

Griezmann&#39;s goal on Sunday came a minute before the break as he controlled the ball at the back post following a corner and showed some brilliant footwork to take a Celta defender out of the game before firing into the far corner.

He turned provider in the 56th minute with a pass for Vitolo, who beat Ruben Blanco in the Celta goal with a clipped finish.

Vitolo&#39;s last three goals in La Liga have now been for three different teams -- he previously netted for Sevilla and then scored for Las Palmas against Celta earlier this season.

Correa came in for Vitolo just before the hour and got on the scoresheet four minutes later, finishing low into the net after his initial effort had been blocked.

It was Atletico&#39;s second 3-0 win at home in four days after they beat Lokomotiv Moscow by the same scoreline in their Europa League last 16, first leg on Thursday.

&nbsp;

Atletico Madrid remains eight points behind league leaders Barca, but they are seven clear of Real Madrid in third

In-form Antoine Griezmann scored one goal and made another as Atletico Madrid cruised to a 3-0 win over Celta Vigo in La Liga on Sunday, consolidating their grip on second place. Griezmann opened the scoring just before the break at the Wanda Metropolitano with his 16th goal of the season in La Liga, his 11th in the last nine games. The France star, who continues to be linked with a summer move to Barcelona, then set up Vitolo to make it 2-0 before Angel Correa, on as a substitute, wrapped up the points for Diego Simeone's side. It was a seventh win in eight La Liga outings for Atletico, the exception being last weekend's 1-0 loss at Barcelona. As a result, the 2014 champions remain eight points behind league leaders Barca, but they are seven clear of Real Madrid in third. ⏱ 93' | 3-0 | ➕3⃣ ¡FINAAAAL! ¡Los tres puntos se quedan en el Wanda @Metropolitano! ????⚪???? 44' ⚽ @AntoGriezmann 56' ⚽ @VitoloMachin 63' ⚽ @AngelCorrea32 #AtletiCelta #AúpaAtleti pic.twitter.com/DAlU8rSTDy — Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) March 11, 2018 × "There is still a long way to go. We take things one game at a time and we will try to continue that way," said Simeone of his side's title chances. "My desire is to be in with a chance with five games left. Then we will be able to speak about something more." Griezmann's goal on Sunday came a minute before the break as he controlled the ball at the back post following a corner and showed some brilliant footwork to take a Celta defender out of the game before firing into the far corner. He turned provider in the 56th minute with a pass for Vitolo, who beat Ruben Blanco in the Celta goal with a clipped finish. Vitolo's last three goals in La Liga have now been for three different teams -- he previously netted for Sevilla and then scored for Las Palmas against Celta earlier this season. Correa came in for Vitolo just before the hour and got on the scoresheet four minutes later, finishing low into the net after his initial effort had been blocked. It was Atletico's second 3-0 win at home in four days after they beat Lokomotiv Moscow by the same scoreline in their Europa League last 16, first leg on Thursday.

Griezmann, Angel, Vitolo shine as Atletico Madrid stroll past Celta

Diego Costa helped Atletico Madrid take a big step toward the Europa League quarter-finals by scoring in a 3-0 victory over Lokomotiv Moscow on Thursday.

Atletico will carry a commanding lead into the second leg in Russia.

Saul Niguez hit the net with a stunning strike at the Wanda Metropolitano before Costa made it two with an instinctive finish.

Koke added a third late on to leave Lokomotiv with a mountain to climb next week.

Costa has six goals in 12 appearances since moving to Atletico from Chelsea in January.

&quot;In the whole game we were superior,&quot; Atletico coach Diego Simeone said.

Security around the game was ramped up amid fears of a repeat of the fan violence that marred Athletic Bilbao&#39;s match against Spartak Moscow a fortnight ago.

Only around 500 Russian supporters were reported to have made the trip to the Spanish capital, however, and there was no visible sign of trouble before kick-off.

Lokomotiv sit seven points clear at the top of the Russian Premier League but this is as far as the club has gone in Europe since reaching the Champions League last 16 in 2004.

&quot;In no way did I feel embarrassment for the team,&quot; Lokomotiv coach Yuri Semin said.

&quot;We do not consider the tie lost.&quot;

Atletico, meanwhile, are rated as Europa League favourites with the bookmakers and, on this evidence, they will take some stopping.

Lokomotiv managed only one shot on target in the 90 minutes.

Both teams stood around the centre circle before kick-off as a minute that began in silence broke into applause in memory of Fiorentina defender Davide Astori, who died suddenly on Sunday.

Atletico controlled possession early on but it took a thunderbolt from distance to break the deadlock.

Saul picked the ball up 30 yards out and without a better option unleashed a left-footed shot that sailed into the top corner.

They should have doubled their lead before half-time. Lokomotiv goalkeeper Guilherme rushed out and was robbed of the ball by Antoine Griezmann on the touchline. With the goal gaping, the Frenchman could only guide his long-range effort wide of the far post.

Costa was more precise early in the second half, however, steering home the rebound after Griezmann had seen his close-range finish saved. Saul had provided the brilliant pass.

Griezmann was taken off in the 66th minute and Costa followed eight minutes later.

But there was still time for a third when Koke burst into the box and prodded a shot into the corner.

&nbsp;

Diego Costa helped Atletico Madrid take a big step toward the Europa League quarter-finals by scoring in a 3-0 victory over Lokomotiv Moscow on Thursday

Diego Costa helped Atletico Madrid take a big step toward the Europa League quarter-finals by scoring in a 3-0 victory over Lokomotiv Moscow on Thursday. Atletico will carry a commanding lead into the second leg in Russia. Saul Niguez hit the net with a stunning strike at the Wanda Metropolitano before Costa made it two with an instinctive finish. Koke added a third late on to leave Lokomotiv with a mountain to climb next week. Costa has six goals in 12 appearances since moving to Atletico from Chelsea in January. "In the whole game we were superior," Atletico coach Diego Simeone said. Security around the game was ramped up amid fears of a repeat of the fan violence that marred Athletic Bilbao's match against Spartak Moscow a fortnight ago. Only around 500 Russian supporters were reported to have made the trip to the Spanish capital, however, and there was no visible sign of trouble before kick-off. Lokomotiv sit seven points clear at the top of the Russian Premier League but this is as far as the club has gone in Europe since reaching the Champions League last 16 in 2004. "In no way did I feel embarrassment for the team," Lokomotiv coach Yuri Semin said. "We do not consider the tie lost." Atletico, meanwhile, are rated as Europa League favourites with the bookmakers and, on this evidence, they will take some stopping. Lokomotiv managed only one shot on target in the 90 minutes. Both teams stood around the centre circle before kick-off as a minute that began in silence broke into applause in memory of Fiorentina defender Davide Astori, who died suddenly on Sunday. Atletico controlled possession early on but it took a thunderbolt from distance to break the deadlock. Saul picked the ball up 30 yards out and without a better option unleashed a left-footed shot that sailed into the top corner. They should have doubled their lead before half-time. Lokomotiv goalkeeper Guilherme rushed out and was robbed of the ball by Antoine Griezmann on the touchline. With the goal gaping, the Frenchman could only guide his long-range effort wide of the far post. Costa was more precise early in the second half, however, steering home the rebound after Griezmann had seen his close-range finish saved. Saul had provided the brilliant pass. Griezmann was taken off in the 66th minute and Costa followed eight minutes later. But there was still time for a third when Koke burst into the box and prodded a shot into the corner.

Costa leads Atletico rout over Lokomotiv Moscow

FC Barcelona defeated the visitors Atletico Madrid by 1-0 at their home ground&nbsp;Camp Nou on Sunday. Both the teams are neck-to-neck and are racing to be at number one spot at the Spanish League table. Barca has maintained a modest lead throughout the season but in the previous matches, Atletico displayed a splendid performance to cut the gap between them and the table leaders.

FC Barcelona was five points ahead of second-ranked Atletico Madrid which further extended to eight as marvellous Messi netted in the 26th minute by clearing a free-kick and hitting a swinging banana shot into the top right corner and gave a 1-0 lead. It was Messi&#39;s 600th career goal from 25 yards out.

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???? Another landmark for Leo <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Messi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Messi</a>! 
➡️ <a href="https://t.co/2M3jsXs79U">https://t.co/2M3jsXs79U</a> <a href="https://t.co/kqLEVeAVBY">pic.twitter.com/kqLEVeAVBY</a>
&mdash; FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/970392218602233856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Messi&#39;s goal gave Barcelona a 1-0 win against second-place Atletico Madrid and widened the gap over their closest rivals to eight points with 11 games remaining.

Besides Barca fans and followers, the coach Ernesto Valverde is also very happy after the vital win against Atletico. In the post-match presentation, he said, &quot;(Lionel) Messi there is just one in the world.&quot;

&quot;I don&#39;t know what would have happened (if he would not be playing for Barcelona), but what is the reason to think about that if he is playing with us?&quot;&nbsp;

He also focused on further matches and hoped the team would compete well in such important and crucial games and said, &quot;We have made a step forward, but it is not definitive.&quot;

Before the match, Atletico coach Diego Simeone had hailed&nbsp;Griezmann saying, &quot;Antoine is an extraordinary footballer and when he is at his level like this, he is one of the best, and it is clear that in his present position he is in the perfect place.&quot;

But Atletico striker Antoine Griezmann, who came in with seven goals in two games, was largely anonymous.

&nbsp;

Messi's goal gave Barcelona a 1-0 win against second-place Atletico Madrid and widened the gap over their closest rivals to eight points with 11 games remaining

FC Barcelona defeated the visitors Atletico Madrid by 1-0 at their home ground Camp Nou on Sunday. Both the teams are neck-to-neck and are racing to be at number one spot at the Spanish League table. Barca has maintained a modest lead throughout the season but in the previous matches, Atletico displayed a splendid performance to cut the gap between them and the table leaders. FC Barcelona was five points ahead of second-ranked Atletico Madrid which further extended to eight as marvellous Messi netted in the 26th minute by clearing a free-kick and hitting a swinging banana shot into the top right corner and gave a 1-0 lead. It was Messi's 600th career goal from 25 yards out. ???? Another landmark for Leo #Messi! ➡️ https://t.co/2M3jsXs79U pic.twitter.com/kqLEVeAVBY — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 4, 2018 × Messi's goal gave Barcelona a 1-0 win against second-place Atletico Madrid and widened the gap over their closest rivals to eight points with 11 games remaining. Besides Barca fans and followers, the coach Ernesto Valverde is also very happy after the vital win against Atletico. In the post-match presentation, he said, "(Lionel) Messi there is just one in the world." "I don't know what would have happened (if he would not be playing for Barcelona), but what is the reason to think about that if he is playing with us?" He also focused on further matches and hoped the team would compete well in such important and crucial games and said, "We have made a step forward, but it is not definitive." Before the match, Atletico coach Diego Simeone had hailed Griezmann saying, "Antoine is an extraordinary footballer and when he is at his level like this, he is one of the best, and it is clear that in his present position he is in the perfect place." But Atletico striker Antoine Griezmann, who came in with seven goals in two games, was largely anonymous.

Messi just one in the world: FCB coach Ernesto Valverde

FC Barcelona won against the visitors Atletico Madrid by 1-0&nbsp;at Camp Nou on Sunday. The match was labelled as &quot;the Grand Final&quot; by some Spanish media houses,&nbsp;as&nbsp;both the teams are neck-to-neck and are&nbsp;racing to be at number spot in the League table.

The game started in the second half when Atletico Madrid displayed enough intent and courage to win the Spanish title race. Otherwise, the first half was entirely dominated by FC Barcelona and&nbsp;Atletico seemed as if they have surrendered in the initial 45 minutes.

Barcelona sent the first warning in the 3rd minute itself by earning a corner, they had put Atletico under immense pressure by claiming 5 corners within 12 minutes, though, none of them was converted. Atletico striker Antoine Griezmann, meanwhile, who came in with seven goals in two games, was largely anonymous.

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Vital win ???? <a href="https://t.co/niHSuzyN5m">pic.twitter.com/niHSuzyN5m</a>
&mdash; FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/970351018536873984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Despite the massive dominance, few of the Barca&#39;s stars were unlucky to some extent, first Luis Suarez as two of his goals were offsides. He thought he had scored a second after half-volleying through Oblak&#39;s legs but was flagged offside before Jose Gimenez applied a crucial block to deflect a Messi shot over.&nbsp;

And Iniesta, who suffered an injury to his right hamstring during and will have more tests tomorrow will provide more insight into his condition. Iniesta now has 10 days to recover before next week&#39;s Champions League second leg against Chelsea.&nbsp;

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[INJURY NEWS] <a href="https://twitter.com/andresiniesta8?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@andresiniesta8</a> has a hamstring injury in his right leg. More tests are needed to find out the extent of the problem <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bar%C3%A7aAtleti?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bar&ccedil;aAtleti</a> <a href="https://t.co/2rhv79AekT">pic.twitter.com/2rhv79AekT</a>
&mdash; FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/970336976137342981?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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FC Barcelona was five points ahead of second-ranked Atletico Madrid which extended to eight as marvellous Messi netted in the 26th minute by clearing a free-kick by hitting a swinging banana shot into the top right corner and gave a 1-0 lead. It was Messi&#39;s 600th career goal from a free-kick from 25 yards out.

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???? With that goal Leo <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Messi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Messi</a> reaches 600 as a professional! ???? 
???????? 539 ⚽ 
???????? 61 ⚽ 
???? Congratulations, Leo! ???? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/For%C3%A7aBar%C3%A7a?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#For&ccedil;aBar&ccedil;a</a> <a href="https://t.co/8o7gBNoSaH">pic.twitter.com/8o7gBNoSaH</a>
&mdash; FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/970324755327963136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The second half was bit competitive but the 1-0 lead helped the Catalans to maintain the pressure and the efforts of Atletico Madrid went in vain.

Though they were close to equalizing and almost did also but the goal in the second half was offside, a very close one.

FC Barcelona has earned a crucial 3 points and stand at top of LaLiga charts and continues its unbeaten run.

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???? 
???? <a href="https://twitter.com/LaLiga?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LaLiga</a> 
???????? For&ccedil;a Bar&ccedil;a <a href="https://t.co/riabW56GFS">pic.twitter.com/riabW56GFS</a>
&mdash; FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/970349427528433664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Lionel Messi scored from the 25 yards out and whipped the free-kick beyond the scrambling Oblak and into the top corner

FC Barcelona won against the visitors Atletico Madrid by 1-0 at Camp Nou on Sunday. The match was labelled as "the Grand Final" by some Spanish media houses, as both the teams are neck-to-neck and are racing to be at number spot in the League table. The game started in the second half when Atletico Madrid displayed enough intent and courage to win the Spanish title race. Otherwise, the first half was entirely dominated by FC Barcelona and Atletico seemed as if they have surrendered in the initial 45 minutes. Barcelona sent the first warning in the 3rd minute itself by earning a corner, they had put Atletico under immense pressure by claiming 5 corners within 12 minutes, though, none of them was converted. Atletico striker Antoine Griezmann, meanwhile, who came in with seven goals in two games, was largely anonymous. Vital win ???? pic.twitter.com/niHSuzyN5m — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 4, 2018 × Despite the massive dominance, few of the Barca's stars were unlucky to some extent, first Luis Suarez as two of his goals were offsides. He thought he had scored a second after half-volleying through Oblak's legs but was flagged offside before Jose Gimenez applied a crucial block to deflect a Messi shot over. And Iniesta, who suffered an injury to his right hamstring during and will have more tests tomorrow will provide more insight into his condition. Iniesta now has 10 days to recover before next week's Champions League second leg against Chelsea. [INJURY NEWS] @andresiniesta8 has a hamstring injury in his right leg. More tests are needed to find out the extent of the problem #BarçaAtleti pic.twitter.com/2rhv79AekT — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 4, 2018 × FC Barcelona was five points ahead of second-ranked Atletico Madrid which extended to eight as marvellous Messi netted in the 26th minute by clearing a free-kick by hitting a swinging banana shot into the top right corner and gave a 1-0 lead. It was Messi's 600th career goal from a free-kick from 25 yards out. ???? With that goal Leo #Messi reaches 600 as a professional! ???? ???????? 539 ⚽ ???????? 61 ⚽ ???? Congratulations, Leo! ???? #ForçaBarça pic.twitter.com/8o7gBNoSaH — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 4, 2018 × The second half was bit competitive but the 1-0 lead helped the Catalans to maintain the pressure and the efforts of Atletico Madrid went in vain. Though they were close to equalizing and almost did also but the goal in the second half was offside, a very close one. FC Barcelona has earned a crucial 3 points and stand at top of LaLiga charts and continues its unbeaten run. ???? ???? @LaLiga ???????? Força Barça pic.twitter.com/riabW56GFS — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 4, 2018 ×

Messi makes difference again to beat Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone hailed Antoine Griezmann on Wednesday after the Frenchman became the first player in six years to net four times in a match for the Spanish club.

&ldquo;He&rsquo;s a very talented boy and he makes the difference,&rdquo; Simeone told reporters following Atletico&rsquo;s 4-0 victory over Leganes which moved them to within four points of La Liga leaders Barcelona, who they face on Sunday. &ldquo;But the side have done some brilliant work to allow him to shine,&quot; Simeone added. &quot;Look at the balls laid on to him by Diego Costa, Koke and Filipe Luis. &ldquo;His level is extraordinary, the assists were all fantastic and with his talent, he was able to finish off some brilliant team moves.&rdquo; Earlier this season there were doubts surrounding Griezmann&rsquo;s commitment to Atletico after he publicly toyed with the idea of leaving for Manchester United.

That coincided with a poor run of form as rumours surfaced that he had agreed to join Barcelona next season. The unease resulted in frustration between fans and the player, culminating in the 26-year-old angrily making a shushing gesture in February&rsquo;s victory over Valencia when he decided against launching a counter-attack in the dying seconds. &ldquo;I might have made mistakes, but not on what I&rsquo;m doing on the pitch,&rdquo; Griezmann said.

&ldquo;I could have behaved better, I shushed the crowd but I was doing what I thought was right and that we should have control of the ball. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m happy with my performance, but the three points are most important.&quot;

Griezmann, who also scored a hat-trick in his last league game on Sunday, was still guarded about his long-term future. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re all enjoying ourselves now,&rdquo; he said.

&quot;We need to continue doing so and also bringing smiles to the fans faces. Hopefully, I&rsquo;ll have this kind of affection until the end.&rdquo;

Griezmann, who also scored a hat-trick in his last league game on Sunday, was still guarded about his long-term future

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone hailed Antoine Griezmann on Wednesday after the Frenchman became the first player in six years to net four times in a match for the Spanish club. “He’s a very talented boy and he makes the difference,” Simeone told reporters following Atletico’s 4-0 victory over Leganes which moved them to within four points of La Liga leaders Barcelona, who they face on Sunday. “But the side have done some brilliant work to allow him to shine," Simeone added. "Look at the balls laid on to him by Diego Costa, Koke and Filipe Luis. “His level is extraordinary, the assists were all fantastic and with his talent, he was able to finish off some brilliant team moves.” Earlier this season there were doubts surrounding Griezmann’s commitment to Atletico after he publicly toyed with the idea of leaving for Manchester United. That coincided with a poor run of form as rumours surfaced that he had agreed to join Barcelona next season. The unease resulted in frustration between fans and the player, culminating in the 26-year-old angrily making a shushing gesture in February’s victory over Valencia when he decided against launching a counter-attack in the dying seconds. “I might have made mistakes, but not on what I’m doing on the pitch,” Griezmann said. “I could have behaved better, I shushed the crowd but I was doing what I thought was right and that we should have control of the ball. “I’m happy with my performance, but the three points are most important." Griezmann, who also scored a hat-trick in his last league game on Sunday, was still guarded about his long-term future. “We’re all enjoying ourselves now,” he said. "We need to continue doing so and also bringing smiles to the fans faces. Hopefully, I’ll have this kind of affection until the end.”

Football: 'Extraordinary' Griezmann silences his critics

French striker Antoine Griezmann hit a hat-trick as Atletico Madrid thrashed Sevilla 5-2 on Sunday to cut the gap on La Liga leaders Barcelona back to seven points.

&quot;I&#39;m very happy with the team&#39;s work, but a little less happy that we conceded two goals,&quot; said Griezmann.

&quot;It&#39;s good that we have several forwards who score goals, but the most important thing is the three points.&quot;

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HIGHLIGHTS ???? 
Did you miss our &lsquo;partidazo&rsquo; in Seville? ⚽????&nbsp;Check out the best plays and <a href="https://twitter.com/AntoGriezmann?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AntoGriezmann</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/diegocosta?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@diegocosta</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Koke6?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Koke6</a>&rsquo;s goals ????⚪???????? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/A%C3%BApaAtleti?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#A&uacute;paAtleti</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SevillaFCAtleti?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SevillaFCAtleti</a>
&mdash; Atl&eacute;tico de Madrid (@atletienglish) <a href="https://twitter.com/atletienglish/status/967891901864177664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Former Chelsea star Diego Costa grabbed the opener just before the half-hour mark after a farcical mix-up in the Sevilla defence.

Goalkeeper Sergio Rico attempted to play a short ball to Ever Banega standing on the edge of the penalty area.

However, his teammate dallied too long and predator Costa nipped in to steal the ball off the toe of the Argentine before confidently burying the opportunity.&nbsp;

Sevilla had plenty of chances with Colombian striker Luis Muriel seeing Atletico keeper Jan Oblak deny him with a smart save.

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⏱ 92&#39; | 2-5 | There&#39;s the final whistle! ➕3⃣Great win from the lads! ????⚪????<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SevillaFCAtleti?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SevillaFCAtleti</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/A%C3%BApaAtleti?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#A&uacute;paAtleti</a> <a href="https://t.co/Jh3dG3SJR5">pic.twitter.com/Jh3dG3SJR5</a>
&mdash; Atl&eacute;tico de Madrid (@atletienglish) <a href="https://twitter.com/atletienglish/status/967875579960856576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Three minutes from the break, Griezmann scored his first of the night when he danced between three defenders to score with a fierce right-footed drive past Rico.

Griezmann made it 3-0 five minutes into the second half, converting his team&#39;s first La Liga penalty of the season after Costa was brought down by Rico.

Sevilla imploded with Koke making it 4-0 after more suicidal defending before Griezmann completed his hat-trick on 80 minutes, taking his Liga tally to 11 for the season.&nbsp;

The home side salvaged a degree of pride when Pablo Sarabia and Nolito tucked away goals in the last five minutes.

&nbsp;

Former Chelsea star Diego Costa grabbed the opener just before the half-hour mark after a farcical mix-up in the Sevilla defence

French striker Antoine Griezmann hit a hat-trick as Atletico Madrid thrashed Sevilla 5-2 on Sunday to cut the gap on La Liga leaders Barcelona back to seven points. "I'm very happy with the team's work, but a little less happy that we conceded two goals," said Griezmann. "It's good that we have several forwards who score goals, but the most important thing is the three points." HIGHLIGHTS ???? Did you miss our ‘partidazo’ in Seville? ⚽???? Check out the best plays and @AntoGriezmann, @diegocosta and @Koke6’s goals ????⚪???????? #AúpaAtleti #SevillaFCAtleti — Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) February 25, 2018 × Former Chelsea star Diego Costa grabbed the opener just before the half-hour mark after a farcical mix-up in the Sevilla defence. Goalkeeper Sergio Rico attempted to play a short ball to Ever Banega standing on the edge of the penalty area. However, his teammate dallied too long and predator Costa nipped in to steal the ball off the toe of the Argentine before confidently burying the opportunity. Sevilla had plenty of chances with Colombian striker Luis Muriel seeing Atletico keeper Jan Oblak deny him with a smart save. ⏱ 92' | 2-5 | There's the final whistle! ➕3⃣Great win from the lads! ????⚪????#SevillaFCAtleti #AúpaAtleti pic.twitter.com/Jh3dG3SJR5 — Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) February 25, 2018 × Three minutes from the break, Griezmann scored his first of the night when he danced between three defenders to score with a fierce right-footed drive past Rico. Griezmann made it 3-0 five minutes into the second half, converting his team's first La Liga penalty of the season after Costa was brought down by Rico. Sevilla imploded with Koke making it 4-0 after more suicidal defending before Griezmann completed his hat-trick on 80 minutes, taking his Liga tally to 11 for the season. The home side salvaged a degree of pride when Pablo Sarabia and Nolito tucked away goals in the last five minutes.

Griezmann's hat-trick helps Atletico to cut gap on Barcelona

Barcelona and Antoine Griezmann have reached an agreement for the France striker to switch from Atletico Madrid to the Catalan giants at the end of the season, Spanish daily Sport reported on Saturday.

&quot;The Atletico Madrid forward has agreed to join Barcelona and will be under (coach) Ernesto Valverde&#39;s orders next season,&quot; Sport said.

The Catalan daily also points out that while Griezmann currently has a buyout clause of 200 million euros ($240 million), that figure drops by half on July 1.

Barcelona have been scrambling to add high-quality players to their squad since Paris Saint Germain lured Brazilian star Neymar to France in a world record signing in August.

Philippe Coutinho joined from Liverpool this month in 180-million-euro ($220 million) deal.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/ernesto-valverde-philippe-coutinho-a-good-fit-for-barcelona-28990" target="_blank">Barcelona coach: Coutinho good fit for team but will be challenge to find position for him</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/camp-nou-and-fans-welcome-coutinho-28899" target="_blank">Camp Nou, fans welcome Coutinho</a>

The newspaper says it believes Griezmann&#39;s transfer would take place after this summer&#39;s World Cup in Russia, where he will have a key role for France, who are among the favourites.

Another Catalan daily, Mundo Deportivo, reported in December that the player&#39;s family had lunch with the Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu to smooth the way for the transfer.

Brazilian born Spain strker Diego Costa joined Atletico from Chelsea in September, and has proved to be the club&#39;s star performer since his debut two weeks ago.

Barcelona, whose star performers Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Andres Iniesta are all in their thirties, signed Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dormund for 105 million euros last summer, but the French 20-year-old has only just returned from a hamstring injury.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Barcelona have been scrambling to add high-quality players to their squad since Paris Saint Germain lured Brazilian star Neymar Jr to France

Barcelona and Antoine Griezmann have reached an agreement for the France striker to switch from Atletico Madrid to the Catalan giants at the end of the season, Spanish daily Sport reported on Saturday. "The Atletico Madrid forward has agreed to join Barcelona and will be under (coach) Ernesto Valverde's orders next season," Sport said. The Catalan daily also points out that while Griezmann currently has a buyout clause of 200 million euros ($240 million), that figure drops by half on July 1. Barcelona have been scrambling to add high-quality players to their squad since Paris Saint Germain lured Brazilian star Neymar to France in a world record signing in August. Philippe Coutinho joined from Liverpool this month in 180-million-euro ($220 million) deal. Barcelona coach: Coutinho good fit for team but will be challenge to find position for him Camp Nou, fans welcome Coutinho The newspaper says it believes Griezmann's transfer would take place after this summer's World Cup in Russia, where he will have a key role for France, who are among the favourites. Another Catalan daily, Mundo Deportivo, reported in December that the player's family had lunch with the Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu to smooth the way for the transfer. Brazilian born Spain strker Diego Costa joined Atletico from Chelsea in September, and has proved to be the club's star performer since his debut two weeks ago. Barcelona, whose star performers Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Andres Iniesta are all in their thirties, signed Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dormund for 105 million euros last summer, but the French 20-year-old has only just returned from a hamstring injury.

Antoine Griezmann might join FC Barcelona after World Cup

Atletico Madrid defender Diego Godin experienced a nasty collision with&nbsp;Valencia goalkeeper Neto on Sunday in a match against Valencia CF.

As the result,&nbsp;Godin lost three of his teeth and also suffered considerable damage to his&nbsp;gums and will be on the sidelines for an unknown period of time.

Valencia goalkeeper Neto went high up for a high ball&nbsp;following an Antoine Griezmann free-kick in the second half and bumped right onto Godin&#39;s face to&nbsp;save the ball.

The collision was so scary that Godin&#39;s face was all covered in blood immediately&nbsp;after the impact.

Angel Correa scored the goal for Atletico, who are second in La Liga, nine points behind leaders Barcelona.

Atletico, who won the game 1-0 at the Wanda Metropolitano said the Uruguayan centre-back would undergo surgery in the coming days after having three of his upper teeth knocked out.

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Diego Godin losing a few teeth here courtesy of Neto&rsquo;s elbow.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AtletiValencia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AtletiValencia</a> <a href="https://t.co/TrjRvD13cW">pic.twitter.com/TrjRvD13cW</a>
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Loses teeth. Doesn&#39;t act like he&#39;s been shot. Gotta love the warrior Godin. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/laliga?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#laliga</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/atleti?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#atleti</a> <a href="https://t.co/kKasj6jqRD">pic.twitter.com/kKasj6jqRD</a>
&mdash; ????????⚽️La Liga Gav ⚽️???????? (@LaLigaGav) <a href="https://twitter.com/LaLigaGav/status/960254929175810048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Atletico Madrid defender Diego Godin is set to have dental and facial reconstructive surgery.

After the event, Atletico Madrid Tweeted, &quot;Diego Godin suffered an injury to his face during the match against Valencia.

Our defender has suffered a dentoalveolar fracture to three of his maxilla. He will undergo maxillofacial surgery in the coming days.&quot;

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PARTE M&Eacute;DICO ???? <a href="https://twitter.com/diegogodin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@diegogodin</a> fue examinado por el especialista maxilofacial y tendr&aacute; un plan individualizado de entrenamiento esta semana 
➡️ <a href="https://t.co/4laRVrTWu8">https://t.co/4laRVrTWu8</a> <a href="https://t.co/6cGaBr4fCX">pic.twitter.com/6cGaBr4fCX</a>
&mdash; Atl&eacute;tico de Madrid (@Atleti) <a href="https://twitter.com/Atleti/status/960573174491631616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Diego Godin lost three of his teeth after being caught full in the face by Valencia goalkeeper Neto

Atletico Madrid defender Diego Godin experienced a nasty collision with Valencia goalkeeper Neto on Sunday in a match against Valencia CF. As the result, Godin lost three of his teeth and also suffered considerable damage to his gums and will be on the sidelines for an unknown period of time. Valencia goalkeeper Neto went high up for a high ball following an Antoine Griezmann free-kick in the second half and bumped right onto Godin's face to save the ball. The collision was so scary that Godin's face was all covered in blood immediately after the impact. Angel Correa scored the goal for Atletico, who are second in La Liga, nine points behind leaders Barcelona. Atletico, who won the game 1-0 at the Wanda Metropolitano said the Uruguayan centre-back would undergo surgery in the coming days after having three of his upper teeth knocked out. Diego Godin losing a few teeth here courtesy of Neto’s elbow.#AtletiValencia pic.twitter.com/TrjRvD13cW — CityzenBlue (@CityzenBlu) February 4, 2018 × Loses teeth. Doesn't act like he's been shot. Gotta love the warrior Godin. #laliga #atleti pic.twitter.com/kKasj6jqRD — ????????⚽️La Liga Gav ⚽️???????? (@LaLigaGav) February 4, 2018 × Atletico Madrid defender Diego Godin is set to have dental and facial reconstructive surgery. After the event, Atletico Madrid Tweeted, "Diego Godin suffered an injury to his face during the match against Valencia. Our defender has suffered a dentoalveolar fracture to three of his maxilla. He will undergo maxillofacial surgery in the coming days." PARTE MÉDICO ???? @diegogodin fue examinado por el especialista maxilofacial y tendrá un plan individualizado de entrenamiento esta semana ➡️ https://t.co/4laRVrTWu8 pic.twitter.com/6cGaBr4fCX — Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) February 5, 2018 ×

Watch: How Atletico defender Godin lost his tooth

After scoring on his return to Atletico Madrid vs. Lleida Esportiu last Wednesday, Diego Costa couldn&#39;t hide his excitement about being back at his former club, where he achieved great things in his initial three-season stint, including winning the 2013/2014 La Liga title and a Copa del Rey, before moving to Chelsea.

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&ldquo;Now I am very happy because I feel like a footballer again,&quot; gleamed Costa. &ldquo;It is great for me to play for Atletico Madrid again, the club is very important to me and I am very happy with this.

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&ldquo;I could not have asked for anything more on my second debut, to be back playing again and to have scored a goal is fantastic.&rdquo;

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Courtesy their transfer ban, Costa was made to wait to make his move to Los Rojiblancos, despite the deal being agreed in the summer. To add to this, the man fell out of favour with Antonio Conte at Chelsea, which subsequently saw him frozen out of this term. The man, however, has certainly been making up for the lost time. Bagging another goal, this time in the league against Getafe, saw him emphatically reannounce himself to the diehard Atleti fans, who are loving every minute of his return.

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Although a silly, yet not entirely unsurprising red card, that occurred when he picked up a second yellow for jumping into the crowd to celebrate his goal, meant his time afield ended after 68 minutes, the two-time Premier League champion still put in an extremely impressive shift. Back to lead the line for his beloved side, the 29-year-old exhibited so many of the attributes that make him such a special player.&nbsp;

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The best place to start came in the form of his wonderfully timed, angled and directed runs in behind the Getafe backline, as this aspect of his game repeatedly allowed him to get into advantageous scenarios. Forever scanning and observing his surroundings, the burly hitman was always alert when a nearby defender was drawn out of position to mark his strike partner, usually Antoine Griezmann, or Atleti&#39;s customarily indented wingers in Angel Correa and Yannick Ferreira Carrasco.&nbsp;

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Once a defender opted to move, Costa would cleverly exploit the space they vacated by making clever vertical and darting diagonal runs into the now unoccupied space. While his incisive ventures weren&#39;t always rewarded, time and time again he breached the Getafe defence using his aptitude in this regard.&nbsp;

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Indeed, his well-taken goal served as a testament to his quality here, for his crafty blindside run enabled him to get into a fantastic position to tuck away Sime Vrsaljko&#39;s precise cross.

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Costa&#39;s subtle interchanges of position with his fellow attackers caused additional headaches for the visitors; they were confronted with challenging decisions on who to mark, whether to hold their position or if they should remain put.&nbsp;

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Positively, his relationships with his colleagues in the final third also showed encouraging signs, as they didn&#39;t step on each other&#39;s toes, instead adhered astutely to Diego Simeone&#39;s positional demands to remain well spaced to give their team offensive balance.

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One downside of his performance came from his tardiness in possession. At times, his control, touch and decision-making let him down. This was highlighted by the fact he only completed 50% of his attempted passes and was dispossessed six times. It must be noted that these statistics aren&#39;t helped by Costa usually receiving the ball in highly populated areas of the pitch under pressure.&nbsp;

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Costa did, however, also stamp his mark on the fixture via his excellence in aerial duels and his relentless fight, spirit and physicality. His attacking numbers are aptly depicted in his strong body of work, as he completed three successful dribbles, unleashed three shots, created one clear-cut chance and won two headers.

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When speaking after the match, it&#39;s clear to see how delighted his tactically astute manager is to have him back again, explaining: &quot;Diego brings us intensity, directness, more strength in attack, and above all he transmits fear. You can feel that and see that.&quot;

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Even though Costa&#39;s reintegration back into life at his old club is still in its infancy and he is returning to action after a lengthy layoff, the early signs bode extremely well that he&#39;ll have no troubles picking up where he left off from when he first departed his beloved Atletico back in 2014.

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Working under the tutelage of his old mate Simeone and in such familiar confines, there&#39;s no doubt Atletico Madrid is the perfect match for the combative and supremely talented Costa.

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(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Even though Costa's reintegration back into life at his old club is still in its infancy and he is returning to action after a lengthy layoff, the early signs bode extremely well that he'll have no troubles picking up where he left off from when he first departed his beloved Atletico back in 2014.

After scoring on his return to Atletico Madrid vs. Lleida Esportiu last Wednesday, Diego Costa couldn't hide his excitement about being back at his former club, where he achieved great things in his initial three-season stint, including winning the 2013/2014 La Liga title and a Copa del Rey, before moving to Chelsea. “Now I am very happy because I feel like a footballer again," gleamed Costa. “It is great for me to play for Atletico Madrid again, the club is very important to me and I am very happy with this. “I could not have asked for anything more on my second debut, to be back playing again and to have scored a goal is fantastic.” Courtesy their transfer ban, Costa was made to wait to make his move to Los Rojiblancos, despite the deal being agreed in the summer. To add to this, the man fell out of favour with Antonio Conte at Chelsea, which subsequently saw him frozen out of this term. The man, however, has certainly been making up for the lost time. Bagging another goal, this time in the league against Getafe, saw him emphatically reannounce himself to the diehard Atleti fans, who are loving every minute of his return. Although a silly, yet not entirely unsurprising red card, that occurred when he picked up a second yellow for jumping into the crowd to celebrate his goal, meant his time afield ended after 68 minutes, the two-time Premier League champion still put in an extremely impressive shift. Back to lead the line for his beloved side, the 29-year-old exhibited so many of the attributes that make him such a special player. The best place to start came in the form of his wonderfully timed, angled and directed runs in behind the Getafe backline, as this aspect of his game repeatedly allowed him to get into advantageous scenarios. Forever scanning and observing his surroundings, the burly hitman was always alert when a nearby defender was drawn out of position to mark his strike partner, usually Antoine Griezmann, or Atleti's customarily indented wingers in Angel Correa and Yannick Ferreira Carrasco. Once a defender opted to move, Costa would cleverly exploit the space they vacated by making clever vertical and darting diagonal runs into the now unoccupied space. While his incisive ventures weren't always rewarded, time and time again he breached the Getafe defence using his aptitude in this regard. Indeed, his well-taken goal served as a testament to his quality here, for his crafty blindside run enabled him to get into a fantastic position to tuck away Sime Vrsaljko's precise cross. Costa's subtle interchanges of position with his fellow attackers caused additional headaches for the visitors; they were confronted with challenging decisions on who to mark, whether to hold their position or if they should remain put. Positively, his relationships with his colleagues in the final third also showed encouraging signs, as they didn't step on each other's toes, instead adhered astutely to Diego Simeone's positional demands to remain well spaced to give their team offensive balance. One downside of his performance came from his tardiness in possession. At times, his control, touch and decision-making let him down. This was highlighted by the fact he only completed 50% of his attempted passes and was dispossessed six times. It must be noted that these statistics aren't helped by Costa usually receiving the ball in highly populated areas of the pitch under pressure. Costa did, however, also stamp his mark on the fixture via his excellence in aerial duels and his relentless fight, spirit and physicality. His attacking numbers are aptly depicted in his strong body of work, as he completed three successful dribbles, unleashed three shots, created one clear-cut chance and won two headers. When speaking after the match, it's clear to see how delighted his tactically astute manager is to have him back again, explaining: "Diego brings us intensity, directness, more strength in attack, and above all he transmits fear. You can feel that and see that." Even though Costa's reintegration back into life at his old club is still in its infancy and he is returning to action after a lengthy layoff, the early signs bode extremely well that he'll have no troubles picking up where he left off from when he first departed his beloved Atletico back in 2014. Working under the tutelage of his old mate Simeone and in such familiar confines, there's no doubt Atletico Madrid is the perfect match for the combative and supremely talented Costa. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Diego Costa's fantastic return to Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid&#39;s Diego Costa scored on his home debut in a 2-0 win over Getafe and was immediately sent off for an over-zealous celebration as the former Chelsea striker marked a typically eventful return to La Liga on Saturday.

Real Betis beat fierce city rivals Sevilla for the first time in the league since 2012 by winning a thrilling derby 5-3 away from home as Vincenzo Montella lost his first game as a coach in La Liga.

Elsewhere, Valencia hit back from two straight defeats by coming from behind to beat Girona 2-1 and hold on to third place in the standings in coach Marcelino&#39;s first game back in the dugout after being involved in a serious car crash before Christmas.

Atletico are second on 39 points, six behind leaders Barcelona who host Levante on Sunday. Valencia are third with 37 while Real Madrid, who visit Celta Vigo on Sunday and have another game in hand, are fourth on 31.

Angel Correa had put Atletico ahead against Getafe in the 18th minute while Costa sent the fans in the Wanda Metropolitano stadium into delirium by scoring the second goal in the 67th, creating a mini-surge as supporters ran down to embrace their returning hero who also played for the club from 2010-2014.

Leaving the pitch to celebrate with the fans automatically incurs a booking and, as Costa had already been shown a yellow card for elbowing Djene Dakonam, referee Jose Luis Munuera Montero had no choice but to send him off.

Costa, who returned to Atletico from Chelsea for 57 million pounds ($77 million) in September but could not play until January due to a ban on the club registering new players, will be suspended for Atletico&#39;s next Liga game at Eibar.

The 29-year-old had scored his first goal in his second spell at Atletico in a 4-0 win at Lleida Esportiu in the King&#39;s Cup on Wednesday less than six minutes after coming on.

Costa was a heroic figure at Atletico&#39;s old home the Vicente Calderon for firing them to their first league title in 18 years in 2014 and he brought much-needed aggression to their front line.

No complaints

Atletico coach Diego Simeone had no complaints about Costa&#39;s sending-off.

&quot;I&#39;d like to focus on all the good things Costa did, his presence made us more direct, he strikes fear into opponents, everyone can see that and that makes us all so happy,&quot; Simeone told reporters.

&quot;The referee is here to follow the rules and not make emotional decisions.&quot;

Sevilla coach Montella, who was sacked by AC Milan in November, got off to a nightmare start in La Liga game as his new team were beaten at home for the first time in any competition since November, 2016.

Betis, who scored five goals for the first time ever against Sevilla, struck in the opening minute through Fabian Ruiz. They lost their lead twice before halftime but went 4-2 ahead in the second half through Riza Durmisi and Sergio Leon.

Clement Lenglet&#39;s goal made for a nail-biting finish but Cristian Tello sealed victory for Betis with a counter-attack goal in stoppage-time, taking his side up to eighth in the standings.

&quot;This win gives us immense happiness, we showed big hearts and cold heads,&quot; Betis captain Joaquin said.

&quot;No-one can rest tonight, anyone who gets home before five in the morning should be fined.&quot;

Atletico are second on 39 points, six behind leaders Barcelona who host Levante on Sunday.

Atletico Madrid's Diego Costa scored on his home debut in a 2-0 win over Getafe and was immediately sent off for an over-zealous celebration as the former Chelsea striker marked a typically eventful return to La Liga on Saturday. Real Betis beat fierce city rivals Sevilla for the first time in the league since 2012 by winning a thrilling derby 5-3 away from home as Vincenzo Montella lost his first game as a coach in La Liga. Elsewhere, Valencia hit back from two straight defeats by coming from behind to beat Girona 2-1 and hold on to third place in the standings in coach Marcelino's first game back in the dugout after being involved in a serious car crash before Christmas. Atletico are second on 39 points, six behind leaders Barcelona who host Levante on Sunday. Valencia are third with 37 while Real Madrid, who visit Celta Vigo on Sunday and have another game in hand, are fourth on 31. Angel Correa had put Atletico ahead against Getafe in the 18th minute while Costa sent the fans in the Wanda Metropolitano stadium into delirium by scoring the second goal in the 67th, creating a mini-surge as supporters ran down to embrace their returning hero who also played for the club from 2010-2014. Leaving the pitch to celebrate with the fans automatically incurs a booking and, as Costa had already been shown a yellow card for elbowing Djene Dakonam, referee Jose Luis Munuera Montero had no choice but to send him off. Costa, who returned to Atletico from Chelsea for 57 million pounds ($77 million) in September but could not play until January due to a ban on the club registering new players, will be suspended for Atletico's next Liga game at Eibar. The 29-year-old had scored his first goal in his second spell at Atletico in a 4-0 win at Lleida Esportiu in the King's Cup on Wednesday less than six minutes after coming on. Costa was a heroic figure at Atletico's old home the Vicente Calderon for firing them to their first league title in 18 years in 2014 and he brought much-needed aggression to their front line. No complaints Atletico coach Diego Simeone had no complaints about Costa's sending-off. "I'd like to focus on all the good things Costa did, his presence made us more direct, he strikes fear into opponents, everyone can see that and that makes us all so happy," Simeone told reporters. "The referee is here to follow the rules and not make emotional decisions." Sevilla coach Montella, who was sacked by AC Milan in November, got off to a nightmare start in La Liga game as his new team were beaten at home for the first time in any competition since November, 2016. Betis, who scored five goals for the first time ever against Sevilla, struck in the opening minute through Fabian Ruiz. They lost their lead twice before halftime but went 4-2 ahead in the second half through Riza Durmisi and Sergio Leon. Clement Lenglet's goal made for a nail-biting finish but Cristian Tello sealed victory for Betis with a counter-attack goal in stoppage-time, taking his side up to eighth in the standings. "This win gives us immense happiness, we showed big hearts and cold heads," Betis captain Joaquin said. "No-one can rest tonight, anyone who gets home before five in the morning should be fined."

Football: Costa scores and sent off on Atletico return, Betis beat Sevilla

Diego Costa is eager to begin his second spell at Atletico Madrid after spending the last three months confined to the club&#39;s training ground, shackled by the club&#39;s ban on registering new players, the striker said on Sunday.

&quot;I&#39;ve waited a long time for this day, I&#39;ve been working hard and training hard but there&#39;s nothing else to do, I need to play, I&#39;m tired of training,&quot; Costa told a news conference.

Costa, who fired Atletico to a first league title in 18 years in 2014, agreed a return to the club from Chelsea in September for 57 million pounds ($77 million), nearly double the price he left for more than three years ago.

He was officially presented alongside fellow Spain team-mate Vitolo -- who signed from Sevilla in July for 40 million euros -- before an open training session at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium, which local media said 20,000 supporters attended.

&quot;I&#39;m in much better shape than when I arrived, I&#39;ve prepared well and worked hard and I&#39;m ready to help the team and score goals,&quot; Costa said.

Atletico&#39;s ban on registering new players due to the illegal transfer of minors expires on Monday, meaning Costa could make his debut against Lleida Esportiu in the King&#39;s Cup on Wednesday, with his first league appearance set for Saturday at home to Getafe.

Atletico are second in the league but Costa&#39;s return cannot come soon enough for Diego Simeone&#39;s side who are nine points adrift of leaders Barcelona and had their confidence rocked by elimination from the Champions League group stage.

Their defence is as resolute as ever, conceding just eight goals in 17 games, but they have had serious difficulties creating and converting chances, scoring fewer goals (25) than the other teams in the top four.

It may not take the 29-year-old Costa long to catch up with his new teammates. Antoine Griezmann is Atletico&#39;s leading marksman with five league goals but Costa will have to prove his fitness as his last competitive game was for Spain in a World Cup qualifier against Macedonia on June 11.

Since Costa departed for London in 2014, Atletico have spent 144.5 million euros trying to replace him.

However, Mario Mandzukic, Griezmann, Jackson Martinez, Luciano Vietto, Kevin Gameiro, Angel Correa and Fernando Torres have all failed to top his 27 league goals in 2013/14 which helped Atletico to break Barca&#39;s and Real Madrid&#39;s nine-year stranglehold on the title.

Costa also won two UEFA Super Cups with Atletico and the 2013 King&#39;s Cup.

&quot;I want to thank the club from the bottom of the heart for the effort they made to bring me back here,&quot; said Costa.

&quot;Today we present a footballer who doesn&#39;t need any introduction,&quot; said Atletico president Enrique Cerezo.

&quot;This is his home and we&#39;re going to give him the best welcome possible.&quot;

Costa, who fired Atletico to a first league title in 18 years in 2014, agreed a return to the club from Chelsea in September for 57 million pounds ($77 million), nearly double the price he left for more than three years ago.

Diego Costa is eager to begin his second spell at Atletico Madrid after spending the last three months confined to the club's training ground, shackled by the club's ban on registering new players, the striker said on Sunday. "I've waited a long time for this day, I've been working hard and training hard but there's nothing else to do, I need to play, I'm tired of training," Costa told a news conference. Costa, who fired Atletico to a first league title in 18 years in 2014, agreed a return to the club from Chelsea in September for 57 million pounds ($77 million), nearly double the price he left for more than three years ago. He was officially presented alongside fellow Spain team-mate Vitolo -- who signed from Sevilla in July for 40 million euros -- before an open training session at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium, which local media said 20,000 supporters attended. "I'm in much better shape than when I arrived, I've prepared well and worked hard and I'm ready to help the team and score goals," Costa said. Atletico's ban on registering new players due to the illegal transfer of minors expires on Monday, meaning Costa could make his debut against Lleida Esportiu in the King's Cup on Wednesday, with his first league appearance set for Saturday at home to Getafe. Atletico are second in the league but Costa's return cannot come soon enough for Diego Simeone's side who are nine points adrift of leaders Barcelona and had their confidence rocked by elimination from the Champions League group stage. Their defence is as resolute as ever, conceding just eight goals in 17 games, but they have had serious difficulties creating and converting chances, scoring fewer goals (25) than the other teams in the top four. It may not take the 29-year-old Costa long to catch up with his new teammates. Antoine Griezmann is Atletico's leading marksman with five league goals but Costa will have to prove his fitness as his last competitive game was for Spain in a World Cup qualifier against Macedonia on June 11. Since Costa departed for London in 2014, Atletico have spent 144.5 million euros trying to replace him. However, Mario Mandzukic, Griezmann, Jackson Martinez, Luciano Vietto, Kevin Gameiro, Angel Correa and Fernando Torres have all failed to top his 27 league goals in 2013/14 which helped Atletico to break Barca's and Real Madrid's nine-year stranglehold on the title. Costa also won two UEFA Super Cups with Atletico and the 2013 King's Cup. "I want to thank the club from the bottom of the heart for the effort they made to bring me back here," said Costa. "Today we present a footballer who doesn't need any introduction," said Atletico president Enrique Cerezo. "This is his home and we're going to give him the best welcome possible."

Football: Atletico pin their hopes on Costa's second coming

Atletico&nbsp;Madrid has reported Barcelona to FIFA for an &quot;illegal&quot;&nbsp;transfer approach for Antoine Griezmann.

The French forward has been linked with the Catalan club in the Spanish media and Barcelona director Guillermo Amor told Movistar on Sunday that president Josep Maria Bartomeu may have made contact with Griezmann&#39;s family, who are also his representatives, over a potential move.

Earlier this year, Griezmann&nbsp;signed a new contract&nbsp;committing him to Atletico until the end of the 2021-22 season.

&quot;Atletico&nbsp;Madrid has presented a complaint about Barcelona for repeated contact between Barcelona, the player and his people,&quot;&nbsp;Atletico&nbsp;told Reuters.

&quot;Griezmann has a long contract and this cannot be permitted, while the club also considers it could affect the competition [La Liga] in which Barcelona are currently top and&nbsp;Atletico&nbsp;are second.&quot;

Barcelona haven&#39;t&nbsp;respond so far. In 2014, Barcelona suffered&nbsp;one-year transfer ban for signing under-age players by world football governing body FIFA.

A Fifa spokesman said, &quot;We can confirm that we have received a complaint from Atletico Madrid.&quot;

Griezmann, 26, signed a new&nbsp;Atletico&nbsp;contract in June until 2022, which has a 100 million euro ($118.2 million) release clause.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Atletico Madrid reports to FIFA over Barcelona's alleged illegal approach for Atletico's star player, Antoine Griezmann

Atletico Madrid has reported Barcelona to FIFA for an "illegal" transfer approach for Antoine Griezmann. The French forward has been linked with the Catalan club in the Spanish media and Barcelona director Guillermo Amor told Movistar on Sunday that president Josep Maria Bartomeu may have made contact with Griezmann's family, who are also his representatives, over a potential move. Earlier this year, Griezmann signed a new contract committing him to Atletico until the end of the 2021-22 season. "Atletico Madrid has presented a complaint about Barcelona for repeated contact between Barcelona, the player and his people," Atletico told Reuters. "Griezmann has a long contract and this cannot be permitted, while the club also considers it could affect the competition [La Liga] in which Barcelona are currently top and Atletico are second." Barcelona haven't respond so far. In 2014, Barcelona suffered one-year transfer ban for signing under-age players by world football governing body FIFA. A Fifa spokesman said, "We can confirm that we have received a complaint from Atletico Madrid." Griezmann, 26, signed a new Atletico contract in June until 2022, which has a 100 million euro ($118.2 million) release clause. (With inputs from Reuters)

Barcelona made 'illegal' approach for Antoine Griezmann: Atletico?Madrid to FIFA

Real Madrid and Atletico each slipped 10 points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona after an intense Madrid derby finished goalless and the Catalans picked up an 11th victory in 12 games by winning 3-0 at Leganes.

Atletico forward Angel Correa wasted a glorious chance to open the scoring in the first derby at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium when he was through on goal in the third minute, while Toni Kroos missed Real&#39;s clearest opportunity.

Raphael Varane rescued Real by heading away Kevin Gameiro&#39;s chipped shot in the second half. At the other end, Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak made two late saves to thwart Cristiano Ronaldo and Kroos as Real finished stronger in the first league derby to finish 0-0 in more than 12 years.

Barca striker Luis Suarez snapped a goal drought spanning five games by scoring twice in his side&#39;s 3-0 win at Leganes, while substitute Paulinho poked in the third goal in stoppage time.

Barca lead the standings on 34 points from 12 games, seven clear of Valencia who visit Espanyol on Sunday, while Real are third on 24, level on points with Atletico in fourth. Sevilla are fifth after coming from behind to beat Celta Vigo 2-1 at home.

The intense rivalry between Real and Atletico could be felt throughout the game, with Correa booting a ball at Karim Benzema&#39;s face when the French striker was on the floor or when Stefan Savic cynically hauled down Kroos.

Towards the end of the first half Lucas Hernandez kicked Sergio Ramos in the face as the captain tried to land a diving header, an incident which could have led to a Real penalty and saw Ramos taken off with a fractured nose.

Atletico fans booed Antoine Griezmann off the pitch when he was substituted following a lifeless performance from the France striker, who has not scored for his club since Sept. 27.

Real coach Zinedine Zidane said his side deserved more from the game, the fifth occasion in which they have dropped points this season.

&quot;Sometimes the ball doesn&#39;t want to go in. I can&#39;t explain why,&quot; he told reporters.

&quot;The good thing about tonight is we played well. Of course, we&#39;re struggling to score, but we know we will. We need to stay positive, which we are. We need to keep on working because this is football and things change very quickly and I&#39;m sure we&#39;ll be fighting for the title until the end.&quot;

Atletico coach Diego Simeone said: &quot;We were playing against the best team in the world. We played as we wanted to, we could have lost this game but we also could have won it.&quot;

SPURNED CHANCES

Earlier at Leganes, Barca striker Suarez reaped the benefits of two weeks rest after being left out of Uruguay&#39;s internationals and pounced from close range to give Barca the lead in the 28th minute, after Leganes goalkeeper Ivan Cuellar failed to hold a shot from Paco Alcacer.

Leganes offered Barca little space going forward and strikers Nordin Amrabat and Alexander Szymanowski both spurned chances to score before the break, the latter being denied by the left hand of an outstretched Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

&quot;Perhaps the result implies we dominated the game more than we actually did,&quot; Barca coach Ernesto Valverde told reporters.

Suarez doubled Ernesto Valverde&#39;s side&#39;s lead on the hour by sliding to send another rebound beyond the hapless Cuellar while Brazilian Paulinho struck his fourth goal of the season.

There was one negative for Barca, however, as defender Gerard Pique picked up a fifth yellow card of the season and is suspended for next week&#39;s top-of-the-table clash at Valencia.

Atletico forward Angel Correa wasted a glorious chance to open the scoring in the first derby at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium when he was through on goal in the third minute, while Toni Kroos missed Real's clearest opportunity.

Real Madrid and Atletico each slipped 10 points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona after an intense Madrid derby finished goalless and the Catalans picked up an 11th victory in 12 games by winning 3-0 at Leganes. Atletico forward Angel Correa wasted a glorious chance to open the scoring in the first derby at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium when he was through on goal in the third minute, while Toni Kroos missed Real's clearest opportunity. Raphael Varane rescued Real by heading away Kevin Gameiro's chipped shot in the second half. At the other end, Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak made two late saves to thwart Cristiano Ronaldo and Kroos as Real finished stronger in the first league derby to finish 0-0 in more than 12 years. Barca striker Luis Suarez snapped a goal drought spanning five games by scoring twice in his side's 3-0 win at Leganes, while substitute Paulinho poked in the third goal in stoppage time. Barca lead the standings on 34 points from 12 games, seven clear of Valencia who visit Espanyol on Sunday, while Real are third on 24, level on points with Atletico in fourth. Sevilla are fifth after coming from behind to beat Celta Vigo 2-1 at home. The intense rivalry between Real and Atletico could be felt throughout the game, with Correa booting a ball at Karim Benzema's face when the French striker was on the floor or when Stefan Savic cynically hauled down Kroos. Towards the end of the first half Lucas Hernandez kicked Sergio Ramos in the face as the captain tried to land a diving header, an incident which could have led to a Real penalty and saw Ramos taken off with a fractured nose. Atletico fans booed Antoine Griezmann off the pitch when he was substituted following a lifeless performance from the France striker, who has not scored for his club since Sept. 27. Real coach Zinedine Zidane said his side deserved more from the game, the fifth occasion in which they have dropped points this season. "Sometimes the ball doesn't want to go in. I can't explain why," he told reporters. "The good thing about tonight is we played well. Of course, we're struggling to score, but we know we will. We need to stay positive, which we are. We need to keep on working because this is football and things change very quickly and I'm sure we'll be fighting for the title until the end." Atletico coach Diego Simeone said: "We were playing against the best team in the world. We played as we wanted to, we could have lost this game but we also could have won it." SPURNED CHANCES Earlier at Leganes, Barca striker Suarez reaped the benefits of two weeks rest after being left out of Uruguay's internationals and pounced from close range to give Barca the lead in the 28th minute, after Leganes goalkeeper Ivan Cuellar failed to hold a shot from Paco Alcacer. Leganes offered Barca little space going forward and strikers Nordin Amrabat and Alexander Szymanowski both spurned chances to score before the break, the latter being denied by the left hand of an outstretched Marc-Andre ter Stegen. "Perhaps the result implies we dominated the game more than we actually did," Barca coach Ernesto Valverde told reporters. Suarez doubled Ernesto Valverde's side's lead on the hour by sliding to send another rebound beyond the hapless Cuellar while Brazilian Paulinho struck his fourth goal of the season. There was one negative for Barca, however, as defender Gerard Pique picked up a fifth yellow card of the season and is suspended for next week's top-of-the-table clash at Valencia.

Football: Suarez inspires Barca, Real and Atletico in derby stalemate

Struggling Barcelona are still the best team in the world, according to the manager of their next opponents Atletico Madrid.

Atletico boss Diego Simeone said despite the &quot;one bad game against Paris&quot;, Barcelona remain the team to beat in Europe.

Luis Enrique&#39;s Barcelona have had a nightmarish recent days, with his team being thrashed 4-0 by Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16 of the Champions League and then producing a sluggish performance to beat lowly Leganes last weekend.

And despite Atletico being the favourites to march to the quarter-finals of Europe&#39;s elite club competition after producing a stunning 4-2 awat performance against Bayer Leverkusen, Simeone said: &quot;Barcelona are still the best in the world.&quot;

&quot;We played three extraordinary halves against them and still didn&#39;t get through, that shows that they are better.&quot;

Simeone was referring to the last three matches his team has played against the blaugranas.

A poor opening first 45 minutes in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final tie cost Atletico dear as wonder goals from Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi put Barca well on their way to a 3-2 aggregate win.

Luis Enrique, meanwhile, is hoping a first midweek off since the turn of the year is what Barca needed to recharge their batteries and recover their form.

&quot;It is the first free midweek we have had in 2017. The schedule has been brutal and it is evident that takes its toll,&quot; said Enrique.

&quot;The week allowed us to work on things, for the team to rest and analyse what is going on with the team.&quot;

Real Madrid&#39;s defeat to Valencia in midweek means Barca still trail their title rivals by just a point.

And Luis Enrique&#39;s men can go top for at least a few hours with victory at the Vicente Calderon, with Madrid not in action until later on Sunday at Villarreal.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Diego Simeone shrugged off talks of Barcelona's frailties, saying that every team can have 'one bad day' as they did against PSG

Struggling Barcelona are still the best team in the world, according to the manager of their next opponents Atletico Madrid. Atletico boss Diego Simeone said despite the "one bad game against Paris", Barcelona remain the team to beat in Europe. Luis Enrique's Barcelona have had a nightmarish recent days, with his team being thrashed 4-0 by Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16 of the Champions League and then producing a sluggish performance to beat lowly Leganes last weekend. And despite Atletico being the favourites to march to the quarter-finals of Europe's elite club competition after producing a stunning 4-2 awat performance against Bayer Leverkusen, Simeone said: "Barcelona are still the best in the world." "We played three extraordinary halves against them and still didn't get through, that shows that they are better." Simeone was referring to the last three matches his team has played against the blaugranas. A poor opening first 45 minutes in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final tie cost Atletico dear as wonder goals from Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi put Barca well on their way to a 3-2 aggregate win. Luis Enrique, meanwhile, is hoping a first midweek off since the turn of the year is what Barca needed to recharge their batteries and recover their form. "It is the first free midweek we have had in 2017. The schedule has been brutal and it is evident that takes its toll," said Enrique. "The week allowed us to work on things, for the team to rest and analyse what is going on with the team." Real Madrid's defeat to Valencia in midweek means Barca still trail their title rivals by just a point. And Luis Enrique's men can go top for at least a few hours with victory at the Vicente Calderon, with Madrid not in action until later on Sunday at Villarreal. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Barcelona are still the best, insists Atletico manager

Atletico Madrid beat hosts Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 in a topsy-turvy encounter on Tuesday to take a firm handle on their Champions League round-of-16 tie ahead of the return leg in Spain next month.

Two lethal counter-attacks in the opening 25 minutes put the 2014 and 2016 finalists in the driving seat, with Saul Niguez and Antoine Griezmann on target, and gave them the edge for a quarter-final spot for the ninth time.

&quot;We knew it was going to be a tough game. We wanted to win, we did that and the return leg will be as difficult as tonight was,&quot; said Griezmann.

&quot;They pressured us and made life difficult but the boss&#39;s changes helped us win the game tonight. We have a big game to play now in front of our own fans.&quot;

Leverkusen, who paid the price for a disastrous defensive performance, cut the deficit before Atletico&#39;s Kevin Gameiro scored with a spot kick and Stefan Savic&#39;s own goal set up a nervous finale.

Substitute Fernando Torres ended any speculation with his goal in the 86th minute to take revenge for last season&#39;s 1-0 loss as the Germans suffered their first home defeat in Europe after a 10-match unbeaten run.

&quot;It is easy to see how Atletico have reached two finals in three years,&quot; said Leverkusen coach Roger Schmidt. &quot;We knew of their counter-attacking abilities before the game but we ended up shipping two goals in the first half.&quot;

The Bundesliga club, finalists in 2002 before the introduction of the round of 16, are now at risk of missing out on the last eight for the fifth time, having never gone past this stage on their four previous attempts.

They were supposed to be dangerous on the break but it was Atletico who came close early on with keeper Bernd Leno stopping a Griezmann effort and Wendell seeing his subsequent clearance bounce off his keeper&#39;s crossbar.

Niguez did better in the 17th minute, charging down the right and curling his shot past Leno after it took a slight deflection off Aleksandar Dragovic.

Griezmann then doubled the score after the hapless Dragovic fluffed his clearance and sent the ball into the path of Gameiro who picked out the onrushing Frenchman.

Leverkusen played completely into Atletico&#39;s hands with their high defensive line, for the first time in this season&#39;s competition conceding goals in the opening 30 minutes.

Griezmann should have added another in the 34th when Gameiro again sent him through but Leno stood his ground and the hosts cut the deficit three minutes after the restart with Karim Bellarabi from inside the box.

But their hopes were short-lived as Dragovic capped his nightmarish performance by giving away a penalty after bringing down Gameiro.

Savic&#39;s own goal put Leverkusen back in the game but despite constant pressure they failed to carve out an equaliser before Torres finished them off.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

Two lethal counter-attacks in the opening 25 minutes put the 2014 and 2016 finalists in the driving seat

Atletico Madrid beat hosts Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 in a topsy-turvy encounter on Tuesday to take a firm handle on their Champions League round-of-16 tie ahead of the return leg in Spain next month. Two lethal counter-attacks in the opening 25 minutes put the 2014 and 2016 finalists in the driving seat, with Saul Niguez and Antoine Griezmann on target, and gave them the edge for a quarter-final spot for the ninth time. "We knew it was going to be a tough game. We wanted to win, we did that and the return leg will be as difficult as tonight was," said Griezmann. "They pressured us and made life difficult but the boss's changes helped us win the game tonight. We have a big game to play now in front of our own fans." Leverkusen, who paid the price for a disastrous defensive performance, cut the deficit before Atletico's Kevin Gameiro scored with a spot kick and Stefan Savic's own goal set up a nervous finale. Substitute Fernando Torres ended any speculation with his goal in the 86th minute to take revenge for last season's 1-0 loss as the Germans suffered their first home defeat in Europe after a 10-match unbeaten run. "It is easy to see how Atletico have reached two finals in three years," said Leverkusen coach Roger Schmidt. "We knew of their counter-attacking abilities before the game but we ended up shipping two goals in the first half." The Bundesliga club, finalists in 2002 before the introduction of the round of 16, are now at risk of missing out on the last eight for the fifth time, having never gone past this stage on their four previous attempts. They were supposed to be dangerous on the break but it was Atletico who came close early on with keeper Bernd Leno stopping a Griezmann effort and Wendell seeing his subsequent clearance bounce off his keeper's crossbar. Niguez did better in the 17th minute, charging down the right and curling his shot past Leno after it took a slight deflection off Aleksandar Dragovic. Griezmann then doubled the score after the hapless Dragovic fluffed his clearance and sent the ball into the path of Gameiro who picked out the onrushing Frenchman. Leverkusen played completely into Atletico's hands with their high defensive line, for the first time in this season's competition conceding goals in the opening 30 minutes. Griezmann should have added another in the 34th when Gameiro again sent him through but Leno stood his ground and the hosts cut the deficit three minutes after the restart with Karim Bellarabi from inside the box. But their hopes were short-lived as Dragovic capped his nightmarish performance by giving away a penalty after bringing down Gameiro. Savic's own goal put Leverkusen back in the game but despite constant pressure they failed to carve out an equaliser before Torres finished them off. (Reuters)

Champions League: Atletico close in on last eight with 4-2 Leverkusen win

Luis Suarez booked Barcelona&#39;s place in a fourth consecutive Copa del Rey final but was sent off as a bad-tempered 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid on Tuesday secured a 3-2 aggregate win.

Suarez&#39;s second goal of the tie looked to have put the semi-final beyond the visitors just before half-time.

However, the Uruguayan was one of three players sent-off in a pulsating second-half and will miss May&#39;s final against Alaves or Celta Vigo.

Kevin Gameiro set up a grandstand finish seven minutes from time moments after blazing a penalty over the bar.

But Barca saw out five minutes of stoppage time with nine men after Suarez&#39;s first red card for the club.

Atletico needed a first win at the Camp Nou since 2006 to have any chance of overturning a 2-1 first leg deficit inflicted by stunning goals from Suarez and Lionel Messi.

Yet, the visitors nearly secured the perfect start with a lightning counter-attack from a Barca corner that ended with Yannick Carrasco stinging the palms of Jasper Cillessen.

The Dutch goalkeeper also saved a long range effort from Koke before Filipe Luis&#39;s volley flew just wide.

Barca took 27 minutes to have an effort on goal when Messi&#39;s low drive was held by Miguel Angel Moya.

However, Atletico&#39;s intense early pressing eased as the half wore on and Barca went in front just before half-time thanks to more magic from Messi and Suarez.

Messi sucked in the Atletico defence and when his effort from the edge of the area was parried by Moya, Suarez gobbled up the rebound for his 23rd goal of the season.

Atletico were dealt an injury blow at the start of the second period as Diego Godin had to be replaced by Lucas Hernandez just five days after the French defender was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence.

However, the visitors were given a glimmer of hope just before the hour mark when Sergi Roberto dived in on Luis and was deservedly shown a second yellow card.

That hope should have been bolstered moments later when Antoine Griezmann smashed the ball inside Cillessen&#39;s far post, but was wrongly flagged offside.

Barca&#39;s nerves were eased when Atletico were also reduced to 10 men 21 minutes from time when a slip from Carrasco saw him wipe out Arda Turan, the Belgian also being shown a second yellow card.

Messi&#39;s incredible run of scoring free-kicks in 2017 nearly continued with a driven effort from fully 35 yards that came crashing back off the bar.

Atletico were given a lifeline when Gerard Pique was adjudged to have tripped Gameiro inside the area with 10 minutes remaining.

Griezmann had missed his fifth penalty in seven attempts at the weekend and handed over responsiblity to his compatriot, but Gameiro blazed over.

Just three minutes later, though, the two combined to great effect as Griezmann&#39;s decision to cross rather than shoot caught the Barca defence off guard and Gameiro rolled into an empty net.

Atletico then pilled on the pressure in search of a winning goal on the night to send the game into extra time.

Suarez was the thrid player to be shown a second yellow for a stray elbow on Koke.

But a great block from Samuel Umtiti to divert Luis&#39;s goalbound drive preserved Barca&#39;s incredible record of not having lost a tie to anyone other than Real Madrid in the Cup sine 2010.

(AFP)

Barcelona's Luis Suarez brandished his Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde self as he scored one and got sent off in an ill-tempered match

Luis Suarez booked Barcelona's place in a fourth consecutive Copa del Rey final but was sent off as a bad-tempered 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid on Tuesday secured a 3-2 aggregate win. Suarez's second goal of the tie looked to have put the semi-final beyond the visitors just before half-time. However, the Uruguayan was one of three players sent-off in a pulsating second-half and will miss May's final against Alaves or Celta Vigo. Kevin Gameiro set up a grandstand finish seven minutes from time moments after blazing a penalty over the bar. But Barca saw out five minutes of stoppage time with nine men after Suarez's first red card for the club. Atletico needed a first win at the Camp Nou since 2006 to have any chance of overturning a 2-1 first leg deficit inflicted by stunning goals from Suarez and Lionel Messi. Yet, the visitors nearly secured the perfect start with a lightning counter-attack from a Barca corner that ended with Yannick Carrasco stinging the palms of Jasper Cillessen. The Dutch goalkeeper also saved a long range effort from Koke before Filipe Luis's volley flew just wide. Barca took 27 minutes to have an effort on goal when Messi's low drive was held by Miguel Angel Moya. However, Atletico's intense early pressing eased as the half wore on and Barca went in front just before half-time thanks to more magic from Messi and Suarez. Messi sucked in the Atletico defence and when his effort from the edge of the area was parried by Moya, Suarez gobbled up the rebound for his 23rd goal of the season. Atletico were dealt an injury blow at the start of the second period as Diego Godin had to be replaced by Lucas Hernandez just five days after the French defender was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence. However, the visitors were given a glimmer of hope just before the hour mark when Sergi Roberto dived in on Luis and was deservedly shown a second yellow card. That hope should have been bolstered moments later when Antoine Griezmann smashed the ball inside Cillessen's far post, but was wrongly flagged offside. Barca's nerves were eased when Atletico were also reduced to 10 men 21 minutes from time when a slip from Carrasco saw him wipe out Arda Turan, the Belgian also being shown a second yellow card. Messi's incredible run of scoring free-kicks in 2017 nearly continued with a driven effort from fully 35 yards that came crashing back off the bar. Atletico were given a lifeline when Gerard Pique was adjudged to have tripped Gameiro inside the area with 10 minutes remaining. Griezmann had missed his fifth penalty in seven attempts at the weekend and handed over responsiblity to his compatriot, but Gameiro blazed over. Just three minutes later, though, the two combined to great effect as Griezmann's decision to cross rather than shoot caught the Barca defence off guard and Gameiro rolled into an empty net. Atletico then pilled on the pressure in search of a winning goal on the night to send the game into extra time. Suarez was the thrid player to be shown a second yellow for a stray elbow on Koke. But a great block from Samuel Umtiti to divert Luis's goalbound drive preserved Barca's incredible record of not having lost a tie to anyone other than Real Madrid in the Cup sine 2010. (AFP)

Copa del Rey: Barcelona through to final after beating Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann was named La Liga player of the season for 2015-16 on Monday, ahead of the likes of Barcelona star Lionel Messi and Real Madrid&#39;s talisman Cristiano Ronaldo.

Atletico gaffer&nbsp;Diego Simeone also took the coach of the season award while Barcelona&#39;s Uruguay striker Luis Suarez was named the top non-EU player.

Messi was recognised as the best forward at the award ceremony in Valencia.

Atletico dominated the awards as Jan Oblak was best goalkeeper, Diego Godin top defender and Frenchman Griezmann also claimed the fans&#39; award.

Real Madrid weren&#39;t left empty-handed, though, as Luka Modric was named best midfielder.

The winners&#39; names were announced in a ceremony organised by the La Liga in Valencia.

(WION with inputs from AFP) 
&nbsp;

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone took the coach of the season award while Barcelona's Luis Suarez was named the top non-EU player

Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann was named La Liga player of the season for 2015-16 on Monday, ahead of the likes of Barcelona star Lionel Messi and Real Madrid's talisman Cristiano Ronaldo. Atletico gaffer Diego Simeone also took the coach of the season award while Barcelona's Uruguay striker Luis Suarez was named the top non-EU player. Messi was recognised as the best forward at the award ceremony in Valencia. Atletico dominated the awards as Jan Oblak was best goalkeeper, Diego Godin top defender and Frenchman Griezmann also claimed the fans' award. Real Madrid weren't left empty-handed, though, as Luka Modric was named best midfielder. The winners' names were announced in a ceremony organised by the La Liga in Valencia. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Griezmann beats Messi and Ronaldo to win La Liga award

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone, a month on from a second Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid in three years, has made it clear that his immediate future is with the Spanish club. 
 
The Argentine, who has been at Atletico since 2011 and is under contract for another four years, said after the loss on penalties to Real that he wanted to explore his options. But now he says he is only concentrating on making the team better. 
 
&quot;I spoke in the heat of the moment,&quot; Simeone told reporters on Wednesday in Buenos Aires. &quot;We Argentinians are like that. Others are not at fault for beating you, I learned that a long time ago. 
 
&quot;To remember the pain and the suffering is necessary to better yourself.&quot; 
 
Simeone has won the Europa League, King&#39;s Cup and La Liga in his four-and-a-half seasons at the Spanish club. 
 
The 46-year-old says only a few teams that have &quot;more resources&quot; are superior to Atletico and expects his side to continue to fight for titles domestically and internationally. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t believe there are many teams better than us,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;We have created a strong group. To be better than Atletico is very difficult because we play as a team. Only Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are better than Atletico, no one else. We are constantly anxious to improve.&quot; 
 
Atletico president Enrique Cerezo is looking to keep the same core of players while also bringing in reinforcements. 
 
French forward Antoine Griezmann, who scored 32 goals in 51 appearances for Atletico this season, signed a one-year contract extension earlier this month. 
 
Atletico have agreed to sign Argentine midfielder Nicolas Gaitan from Benfica and are looking to strengthen their attack. 
 
&quot;The aim is to improve from last season,&quot; Cerezo told reporters on Wednesday. &quot;I know what Atletico needs and that is why we are working well and we will bring in players and good ones.&quot; 
 
&quot;We have turned down offers of millions for almost every player that we have and we will assume that financial weight in order to maintain the backbone of this team and for the important players to remain here.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The Argentine, who has been at Atletico since 2011, is under contract for another four years, and wants to make the team better

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone, a month on from a second Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid in three years, has made it clear that his immediate future is with the Spanish club. The Argentine, who has been at Atletico since 2011 and is under contract for another four years, said after the loss on penalties to Real that he wanted to explore his options. But now he says he is only concentrating on making the team better. "I spoke in the heat of the moment," Simeone told reporters on Wednesday in Buenos Aires. "We Argentinians are like that. Others are not at fault for beating you, I learned that a long time ago. "To remember the pain and the suffering is necessary to better yourself." Simeone has won the Europa League, King's Cup and La Liga in his four-and-a-half seasons at the Spanish club. The 46-year-old says only a few teams that have "more resources" are superior to Atletico and expects his side to continue to fight for titles domestically and internationally. "I don't believe there are many teams better than us," he said. "We have created a strong group. To be better than Atletico is very difficult because we play as a team. Only Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are better than Atletico, no one else. We are constantly anxious to improve." Atletico president Enrique Cerezo is looking to keep the same core of players while also bringing in reinforcements. French forward Antoine Griezmann, who scored 32 goals in 51 appearances for Atletico this season, signed a one-year contract extension earlier this month. Atletico have agreed to sign Argentine midfielder Nicolas Gaitan from Benfica and are looking to strengthen their attack. "The aim is to improve from last season," Cerezo told reporters on Wednesday. "I know what Atletico needs and that is why we are working well and we will bring in players and good ones." "We have turned down offers of millions for almost every player that we have and we will assume that financial weight in order to maintain the backbone of this team and for the important players to remain here." (Reuters)

Simeone vows to stay on and improve Atletico

Atletico Madrid president, Enrique Cerezo, has ruled out Chelsea forward Diego Costa&#39;s possible return to the Vicente Calderon stadium this summer, despite reports suggesting otherwise. 
 
The arrival of Michy Batshuayi at Chelsea from Marseille has led to reports in England and Spain that Costa, who has scored 36 goals in 77 games since joining Chelsea in 2014, could move back to Atletico, a team he helped capture the La Liga title, a King&#39;s Cup and two Super Cups in his four years with the outfit. 
 
New Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said the Spain international will stay put, describing him as a player of fundamental importance, and now Cerezo has ruled out his return.&nbsp;Costa is under contract at Chelsea until June 2019. 
 
&quot;He is a great player, who is very much loved, but he is a Chelsea player,&quot; Cerezo told reporters.&nbsp;&quot;The issue is as it was six months ago or even a year ago, he is a Chelsea player. I&#39;ve always said that Costa is a Chelsea player and has a contract with Chelsea. That&#39;s the end of this issue.&nbsp;The day we have a number nine we will announce it. We are looking for one and once we have him, we will announce it.&quot; 
 
The 27-year-old Costa was handed a start for Conte&#39;s first match in charge, a 2-0 pre-season defeat to Rapid Vienna on Saturday. 
 
(Reuters)

New Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said the Spanish player will stay put, describing him as a player of fundamental importance

Atletico Madrid president, Enrique Cerezo, has ruled out Chelsea forward Diego Costa's possible return to the Vicente Calderon stadium this summer, despite reports suggesting otherwise. The arrival of Michy Batshuayi at Chelsea from Marseille has led to reports in England and Spain that Costa, who has scored 36 goals in 77 games since joining Chelsea in 2014, could move back to Atletico, a team he helped capture the La Liga title, a King's Cup and two Super Cups in his four years with the outfit. New Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said the Spain international will stay put, describing him as a player of fundamental importance, and now Cerezo has ruled out his return. Costa is under contract at Chelsea until June 2019. "He is a great player, who is very much loved, but he is a Chelsea player," Cerezo told reporters. "The issue is as it was six months ago or even a year ago, he is a Chelsea player. I've always said that Costa is a Chelsea player and has a contract with Chelsea. That's the end of this issue. The day we have a number nine we will announce it. We are looking for one and once we have him, we will announce it." The 27-year-old Costa was handed a start for Conte's first match in charge, a 2-0 pre-season defeat to Rapid Vienna on Saturday. (Reuters)

Atletico Madrid president Cerezo rules out Costa's return this summer

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