Atletico Madrid defeated Deportivo La Coruna 1-0 at home on Saturday to move into second place in the LaLiga standings after 10 rounds.
Julian Alvarez scored the only goal two minutes after halftime to secure the win for Diego Simeone’s side.
Atletico fielded a strong but fatigued lineup following their midweek commitments and struggled to break down an organized Deportivo side in the first half.
Simeone made tactical adjustments at halftime, and Atletico took the lead shortly after the restart when Alvarez found the net in the 48th minute.
Deportivo pushed for an equalizer but failed to convert chances, with Atletico holding on for all three points.
The visitors came close to scoring with the final kick of the match but were unable to find the net.
The victory moved Atletico Madrid to 25 points, leaving them second in the LaLiga table. Deportivo La Coruna remained on 11 points in 10th place.
– Saturday’s LaLiga results
Rayo Vallecano 0-3 Elche
Racing Santander 2-1 Espanyol
Valencia 1-2 Villarreal