La Liga round-up: Atletico Madrid win, Sevilla lose in title chase
Sunday 13 January 2019 18:06, UK
Antoine Griezmann ensured that Atletico Madrid kept the pressure on Barcelona by scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win over Levante in La Liga on Sunday.
Griezmann scored his team-leading ninth league goal of the season when he fired a spot-kick over Levante goalkeeper Oier Olazabal in the 57th minute following a handball by defender Nikola Vukcevic.
The hosts thought they scored early through Koke, but the referee waived his goal off because of a foul at the start of the attack that he spotted during a video review.
Atletico dominated possession and the scoring chances but its lack of finishing touch meant it needed goalkeeper Jan Oblak to block a shot by Jose Morales in the 70th to guarantee the victory.
Sevilla's hopes of staying in the La Liga title race faded further with a 2-0 defeat at struggling Athletic Bilbao, who boosted their chances of survival with two wonderful goals from Inaki Williams.
The striker - making his 100th consecutive appearance in La Liga - ended a goal drought of more than two years at his club's San Mames stadium in spectacular style with brilliant goals in each half.
The defeat left Sevilla third in the standings on 33 points while Bilbao climb up to 16th on 22 points, moving three away from the relegation zone.
Williams gave them the lead midway through the first half, cutting in from the left wing to find the far top corner with a scorching strike - his first goal at home since netting against Eibar in December 2016.
Sevilla had beaten Athletic 3-1 at San Mames three days previously in a Copa del Rey last-16 game but for most of the game were out-muscled by Gaizka Garitano's side, who are fighting against a potential first relegation from the top flight.
Quincy Promes came closest to scoring for the visitors with a long strange strike which brushed past the far post, while Argentine playmaker Ever Banega saw a shot squirm just wide from the edge of the area.
But Williams, who also scored the winner at Celta Vigo last week, sealed the victory with another impressive effort in the 82nd minute, knocking the ball beyond a defender and then dribbling around the goalkeeper before tapping in.
