Álvarez brace helps Atlético overcome Valencia

Atlético Madrid took provisional top spot in LaLiga with a comfortable 3-0 away win at a toothless Valencia on Saturday thanks to a first-half double by Julián Álvarez and a late strike by substitute Ángel Correa.

Former Manchester City forward Álvarez struck a rebound in the 12th minute to open the scoring and headed home an Antoine Griezmann cross in the 30th minute to extend Atlético's lead.

The visitors took their foot off the pedal after the break but managed to score the third goal through Correa in a quick counter-attack in the 86th minute.

Atlético top the LaLiga table on 53 points, two ahead of Barcelona and Real Madrid, but both have a game in hand. Barça are second on goal difference and will visit lowly Las Palmas later on Saturday while third-placed Real will host Girona on Sunday.

Struggling Valencia are third from the bottom on 23 points.

"We are very happy, it was important to win to stay in the title race," Álvarez told Spanish TV Movistar Plus.

"It wasn't an easy match, it's always tough to play at Valencia, so managing to grab three points here playing as well as we did gives you a lot of confidence to keep going."

It was another commanding performance by Diego Simeone's Atlético who are in fine form, having won 20 of their last 24 games in all competitions and losing only once since October.

They dominated proceedings from the start and Griezmann put Samuel Lino in great position to score with a brilliant pass but the Brazilian winger blasted his volley onto the crossbar.

However, Valencia defenders failed to clear the rebound from their crowded box and Álvarez pounced on the loose ball to fire it into the back of the net.

At the half-hour mark, the 25-year-old Argentina forward out-jumped two rivals inside the six-yard-box to fire in a header from a Griezmann cross to extend their lead.

Álvarez should have bagged a hat- rick in first-half stoppage time but missed a sitter from close range.

Valencia came back livelier in the second half and piled on the pressure but Atlético kept frustrating their desperate opponents, who were left exposed and were punished by Correa's deadly counter in the 86th minute.