Atletico Madrid put the noise of the Julian Alvarez transfer saga behind them with a convincing 3-1 victory at Sevilla on Saturday to move top of the early La Liga table.
Diego Simeone’s men have taken seven points from their first three matches of the league season.
The club has repeatedly ruled out a move to Barcelona for wantaway striker Alvarez, who has also been heavily linked with Arsenal.
The Argentina international was left out of the matchday squad in Seville, having been booed by his own fans last weekend in a 2-2 home draw with Villarreal.
The two forwards who started in his absence combined to great effect to give Atletico a fourth-minute lead.
Lee Kang-in, a summer signing from European champions Paris Saint-Germain, played an excellent pass in behind for Alex Baena to rifle a low shot into the net.
The Rojiblancos doubled their advantage in the 26th minute, as Ademola Lookman planted a clever shot inside Sevilla goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos’s near post.
Atletico were three goals in front just seven minutes later as Spanish World Cup winner Baena scored his second.
Baena drove ashot into the bottom corner from outside the box after being teed up by Marcos Llorente.
Sevilla improved in the second half and pulled one back through Miguel Sierra’s volley, but never looked like mounting a comeback.
– Betis lose 100% record –
Earlier, Real Betis lost their perfect start as Roger Brugue helped Levante to a 5-2 victory.
Betis, whose fifth-place finish last term secured them a long-awaited return to the Champions League, would have gone top with a third win from as many outings to start their domestic campaign.
But it was not to be for Manuel Pellegrini’s charges as goals from Adrian de la Fuente, Enzo Bardeli, Brugue and Jon Ander Olasagasti secured the hosts their first win of the season.
De la Fuente broke the deadlock at the Ciutat de Valencia with a glancing header from a corner in the 24th minute.
Shortly after the half-hour, former Barcelona centre-half Marc Bartra levelled for Betis with a forceful effort from the edge of the box.
The match really sparked into life under the late summer Valencian sun as the clock ticked past 45 minutes.
Bardeli displayed fantastic technique and imagination two minutes into added time as he pounced on a loose defensive pass and launched a chip from well over 40 yards that left Betis goalkeeper Alvaro Valles helpless.
But the visitors managed to go into the break on level terms as Rodrigo Riquelme tucked in a flick-on from a corner.
But a double from Brugue — the first another set-piece goal, before he bundled home from close range after Ivan Romero had struck the post — and a late Olasagasti header sealed the win.
Real Sociedad got their first points of the season with a 2-1 home win over Espanyol.
AFP
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