Persistent pressure from Atletico Madrid finally paid dividends as Giuliano Simeone, son of manager Diego Simeone, scored his debut goal for the club, with Alexander Sorloth adding a second to seal a well-deserved 2-0 victory over Las Palmas in a LaLiga showdown on Sunday.
Currently third in the LaLiga standings with 23 points from 12 matches, Atletico Madrid sits just behind second-placed Real Madrid, who remain one match ahead due to a postponement of their game at Valencia this weekend following severe flooding in the region.
Atletico’s breakthrough came in the 37th minute when Nahuel Molina delivered a perfectly-timed long ball up the right flank, allowing Giuliano to exploit Las Palmas’ high defensive line. The 21-year-old broke through at pace, sprinting towards the six-yard box and confidently finishing with his right foot past goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen’s outstretched leg.
Moments before the halftime whistle, Antoine Griezmann nearly doubled Atletico’s lead with a well-struck left-footed shot from a Pablo Barrios cross, but his effort ricocheted off the crossbar, keeping the score at 1-0.
Las Palmas’ struggles deepened in the early second half as Cillessen was forced to leave the field after an injury sustained while diving to stop another attempt from Molina. The visitors, who managed just a single shot throughout the match, struggled to contain Atletico’s relentless attacks.
The hosts solidified their lead in the 83rd minute when Sorloth calmly slotted a left-footed shot into the net, capitalizing on a perfectly timed, defense-splitting through ball from Rodrigo De Paul.
With this victory, Atletico remains in strong form ahead of a busy week, as they prepare to face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday before resuming their LaLiga campaign against Mallorca next Sunday.
