In a dominant La Liga display, Atletico Madrid secured a decisive 3-0 victory against Mallorca at the Metropolitano stadium on Sunday. The comprehensive win solidifies their hold on third place in the standings, simultaneously narrowing the gap with front-runners Real Madrid to a mere seven points.
The triumph gains additional significance following Real Madrid’s defeat of fourth-placed Villarreal the previous day. Under Diego Simeone’s strategic guidance, Atletico capitalized on this development, establishing a crucial three-point buffer over their closest Champions League qualification rivals.
Norwegian striker Alexander Sorloth initiated the scoring in the 22nd minute, capitalizing on a saved attempt from Marcos Llorente to net his seventh league goal this season. This achievement places him alongside Julián Álvarez as the team’s joint-top scorer. The hosts’ advantage expanded fortuitously in the second half when David López inadvertently directed Llorente’s cross into his own net. Argentine midfielder Thiago Almada concluded the scoring late in the match, expertly converting from a corner kick situation.
Atletico’s offensive dominance was evident from the opening whistle, forcing Mallorca goalkeeper Leo Román into making a remarkable triple save early against Sorloth, Giuliano Simeone, and Pablo Barrios. Midfielder Llorente emphasized post-match that the comfortable victory before home supporters represents “the path to follow” for the Madrid-based club.
The result intensifies the title race as Barcelona prepared to face bottom-placed Real Oviedo later Sunday, with an opportunity to reclaim the league leadership.