Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid rally to keep La Liga title dream alive

Diego Simeone's side, currently third, are seven points adrift of leaders Barcelona and three behind rivals Real Madrid.

Valladolid, rooted to the bottom of the table, stunned the hosts early, but Atletico fought back with two penalties from Julian Alvarez, a clinical strike from Giuliano Simeone, and a late goal by Alexander Sorloth.

The win marked Atletico's second consecutive comeback, following their dramatic 2-1 triumph at Sevilla last week, which ended a three-game winless streak.

"We've seen it before, against Sevilla and now here," Simeone said post-match. "Valladolid's goals came from nowhere, but the team's reaction was what mattered. The penalty sparked us, Giuliano's goal pushed us on, and we took control."

Simeone, known for demanding grit, praised his squad's collective spirit. "No game is easy," he said. "You can't dominate every moment, but we handled the tough spells well, like we've done all season."

The Argentine reserved special words for his son, Giuliano, whose dynamic displays have been a revelation. "I didn't see this level coming," Simeone admitted. "I knew he'd contribute, but he's been outstanding.

"Still, he's got to keep earning it, nothing's handed to him."

Julian Alvarez, now with 14 league goals, also earned plaudits. "He's vital for us, stepping up against Sevilla and today," Simeone said, before adding with a grin, "But we remind him Lewandowski's still way ahead!"

Recent updates from Atletico's official channels highlight their focus on maintaining momentum. Simeone, in a post on X, emphasized the squad's "heart and hunger" as key to their campaign, while Alvarez vowed to "keep pushing" for more goals.

With tough fixtures looming, Atletico's knack for defying the odds remains their biggest weapon.

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