MADRID (AP) — Memphis Depay scored in the 88th minute for his first goal since joining from Barcelona as 10-man Atletico Madrid won 1-0 at Celta Vigo to stay fourth in the Spanish league on Sunday.
Atletico needed a good performance from goalkeeper Jan Oblak and some help from the woodwork after defender Stefan Savic was sent off in the 70th.
Atletico opened a four-point gap to fifth-place Real Betis with its third win in four league matches. Celta, which was coming off two straight wins, dropped to 14th.
“It was a tough match, we knew Celta was going through a good moment,” Atletico coach Diego Simeone said. “In the end, Oblak helped us again and Memphis came through in a very important match for us.”
Depay scored from inside the area for his first goal with Atletico since arriving in a transfer from Barcelona in January.
Oblak made two outstanding stops after Savic was sent off, including a reflex save on the goal line in the 85th.
Veteran Celta striker Iago Aspas hit the crossbar from the free kick that came after Savic’s red card for stopping a breakaway.
Midfielder Koke Resurrección made his 402nd appearance with Atletico in the league, surpassing the mark by former midfielder Adelardo Rodríguez.
GETAFE RECOVERS
Second-to-last Getafe earned a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano thanks to a 77th-minute equalizer by Enes Unal and Rayo striker Raúl de Tomás failing to score from the penalty spot in the 87th, only four minutes after entering the match.
Getafe, winless in seven consecutive matches in all competitions, played with 10 men from the 54th after Carles Aleñá was sent off with a second yellow card.
Getafe striker Borja Mayoral also failed to score with a penalty kick shortly before Aleña was sent off.
Rayo, which had won three of its last four league matches, dropped to sixth place with the away draw.
Later Sunday, Barcelona visits eighth-place Villarreal looking for its 11th straight win in all competitions. The Catalan club can extend its league lead over Real Madrid to 11 points with a win. Madrid was away at the Club World Cup this weekend.
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