Morata scores again as Atletico tops Alaves to tie record of 14 straight home wins in Spanish league
MADRID (AP) — Red-hot Álvaro Morata scored yet another goal and Atletico Madrid beat Alaves 2-1 for its 14th straight Spanish league victory at home on Sunday, tying its longest winning home streak.
Morata scored his seventh goal in his last seven games with Atletico, which matched its winning run from a decade ago. Diego Simeone's team had also won 14 in a row at home between May 2012 and February 2013, while still playing at the Vicente Calderon Stadium.
“It’s no coincidence that we've achieved this streak at home, where our fans make us feel stronger and more comfortable,” said Rodrigo Riquelme, who also scored for Atletico on Sunday.
The victory at the Metropolitano Stadium moved Atletico to third place with 25 points, three behind both Girona and Real Madrid. Madrid came from behind to win 2-1 at Barcelona in the first league “clasico” of the season on Saturday, while Girona defeated Celta Vigo 1-0 on Friday.
Atletico has a game in hand because a home match against Sevilla in September was suspended because of bad weather.
“We have to stay on the throttle because the teams ahead of us are going very strongly,” Simeone said. “We have to keep doing our own thing.”
Simeone coached his 450th league game for Atletico, the most for any manager in the league with a single club.
Atletico has won nine of its last 11 league games against Alaves, which stayed in 17th place, just outside the relegation zone. Alaves' winless streak in the league has reached seven games, with four losses and three draws.
Riquelme put Atletico ahead in the 26th minute and Morata added to his scoring streak in first-half stoppage.
Alaves had no shots on goal until Ander Guevara scored deep in second-half stoppage time.
Atletico was still without a few injured players, including Samuel Lino, Thomas Lemar, Memphis Depay and Reinildo.
Atletico next visits Las Palmas in the league, while Alaves hosts last-place Almeria. Alaves first visits Deportivo Murcia in the Copa del Rey.
BILBAO DRAWS LATE
Athletic Bilbao needed a goal by Álex Berenguer seven minutes into second-half stoppage time to salvage a 2-2 home draw with Valencia.
The hosts took the lead through Óscar de Marcos in the 32nd before Valencia moved ahead with goals by Fran Pérez in the 62nd and Hugo Duro in the 68th.
Bilbao could have moved to fifth place with a win but stayed sixth, just behind Basque Country rival Real Sociedad. Valencia stayed in ninth place.
SOCIEDAD HELD
Fifth-place Sociedad missed a chance to put pressure on the Champions League spots after conceding a stoppage-time equalizer in a 2-2 draw at Rayo Vallecano.
Bebé scored one minute into injury time to give the hosts the draw after Sociedad had taken the lead with a pair of goals by Mikel Oyarzabal in the 41st and 66th. Abdul Mumin had opened the scoring for eighth-place Rayo, which was looking for its second consecutive win after four straight draws.
Sociedad had won six of its last seven matches in all competitions, with its only setback a loss at Atletico two rounds ago.
Bebé had also scored in stoppage time in Rayo’s 1-0 win at Las Palmas in the previous round.
ISCO SAVES BETIS
Isco scored four minutes into stoppage time to give Real Betis a 2-1 home win over Osasuna.
Isco found the top of the net after Rubén García had equalized for the visitors in the 85th. Willian José had put Betis ahead after an assist by Isco in first-half injury time.
Betis had only two attempts on target, and Osasuna one — all three of them successful.
Seventh-place Betis hadn’t won in two league matches, while 11th-place Osasuna had won two of its last three games.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
