MADRID, Jan 18 : Alexander Sorloth’s towering header secured Atletico Madrid a narrow 1-0 victory against Alaves in LaLiga on Sunday to maintain their distant pursuit of leaders Barcelona.
Diego Simeone’s side stay fourth in the standings with 41 points, level with Villarreal, who sit third with a game in hand, following their 2-0 loss to Real Betis on Saturday.
Barcelona, with a game in hand, lead the table with 49 points and were scheduled to visit Real Sociedad later on Sunday.
In what was a largely uninspiring affair at the Metropolitano, Atletico dominated possession but struggled to find penetration against a disciplined and compact Alaves defence.
The first half, marked by its ill-tempered nature, featured fouls aplenty and few moments of quality.
The hosts’ best chance came in stoppage time before the break when Thiago Almada’s shot from close range was blocked on the goal line by Victor Parada.
The winner arrived three minutes into the second half as Pablo Barrios whipped in a precise cross from the right wing, allowing Sorloth to rise above the defence and head the ball into the net off the post.
The Norwegian’s goal proved decisive in a match that offered little else in excitement other than an Alex Baena curling strike from just inside the box in the 70th minute that ricocheted off the right post.
Alaves tried to make a late run for the equaliser but finished the match with no shots on target.
“It may be that we suffered too much, but in the end we came out with a victory,” Atletico midfielder Barrios told DAZN.
“They pushed forward in the end and, with the wear and tear of the whole match, we fell back… But it is normal to suffer because there are never any easy matches in LaLiga. I prefer to stick with our overall performance.”
