MADRID (AP) — Antoine Griezmann scored twice, including directly from a corner kick, to give Atlético Madrid a 2-1 win at Real Betis in the Spanish league on Sunday.
Griezmann opened the scoring in the 54th minute with a left-footed corner that curled across the goalmouth and went in after bouncing off a defender on the goal line.
“I told the referee that I was missing a goal ‘Olímpico,’” Griezmann said. “I tried to send it firmly, curling in, and got a bit lucky as well.”
The France striker added to the lead from inside the area in the 71st for his third goal in the last three matches with Atlético.
Griezmann has been starting more since Atlético and Barcelona reached a deal for his full transfer.
Betis, which has won only one of its last five league matches, scored its lone goal with a free kick by Nabil Fekir in the 84th. The hosts nearly equalized in stoppage time with a close-range header from Álex Moreno that struck the crossbar. Betis had a goal disallowed for offside early in the second half.
Manuel Pellegrini’s team entered the game undefeated at home in the league this season.
Atlético is struggling in the Champions League, but it has won four of its last five matches in the Spanish league. It was coming off a 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano at home, when it conceded in stoppage time.
It sits in third place, two points behind second-place Barcelona, which hosted Athletic Bilbao later Sunday. Atlético is eight points behind league leader Real Madrid, which beat Sevilla 3-1 on Saturday.
Betis stayed in fifth place.
WINLESS ELCHE
Last-place Elche remained the only winless team in the league after a 2-2 draw at Espanyol.
Elche took the lead through Pere Milla in the 11th before the hosts got on the board with goals from Javi Puado in the 24th and Martin Braithwaite in the 67th. Gonzalo Caicedo Verdú gave Elche the draw in the 82nd.
It was the second draw in three matches for Elche, which was coming off a 3-0 loss to Real Madrid at home. It has seven losses from its 11 matches.
Espanyol, with two wins, was in 13th place.
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