Barrios scores late to move Atletico closer to the top in Spain

MADRID (AP) — Atletico Madrid isn’t giving up just yet.

Diego Simeone’s team gained ground on Real Madrid and Barcelona with a 2-1 win at Sevilla in the Spanish league on Sunday to move closer to the top.

Pablo Barrios scored the winner three minutes into stoppage time as Atletico ended a three-game winless streak in the league. Madrid lost 2-1 at home to Valencia on Saturday, while leader Barcelona drew 1-1 with Real Betis, also at home on Saturday.

Atletico moved within three points of second-placed Madrid and seven points behind Barcelona after 30 rounds. It has a six-point gap to fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao.

“I keep insisting that we have to focus on our own team, and keep growing and improving from last season,” Simeone said.

The league remains Atletico’s only hope for a trophy after being eliminated by Madrid in the round of 16 of the Champions League and by Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semifinals.

Atletico hadn’t won in the league since the beginning of March, when it defeated Athletic Bilbao 1-0. Since then it had lost at Getafe and then to Barcelona, and drawn at relegation-threatened Espanyol.

Its only win across all competitions since beating Athletic was against Madrid in the Champions League in a match in which it was eventually eliminated on penalties.

“This was a very important victory, we needed it,” said Atletico midfielder Koke Resurrección, who hadn’t played since February because of an injury.

Sevilla was also struggling, having lost two in a row in the league — to Athletic and at Betis in the Seville derby. Sunday’s loss dropped Sevilla to 12th place.

Lucien Agoumé put the hosts ahead with a one-timer from outside the area in the seventh before Julián Álvarez equalized for Atletico by converting a penalty kick in the 25th.

Barrios got the winner with a run that finished with him finding the corner with a well-placed low shot.

Also Sunday, Real Sociedad moved to eighth place by winning 3-1 at second-to-last Las Palmas, which is winless in 13 straight. Sociedad has won its last two league games.

Fifth-placed Villarreal missed a chance to inch closer to Athletic when the teams drew 0-0 in Villarreal.

The hosts played the final minutes with 10 men as Pepe Gueye was sent off for a hard foul after video review. The result kept Villarreal six points behind Athletic.

Getafe moved to 11th with a 4-0 rout of last-place Valladolid.

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By TALES AZZONI
AP Sports Writer