In a hard-fought encounter at Pamplona, Atlético Madrid secured a 2-1 victory over Osasuna in matchday 36 of La Liga, keeping their chances of finishing on the podium alive. The Basque side, meanwhile, remain in a relegation battle.
The match had its share of controversy. The opening goal came from a penalty awarded after Javi Galán’s handball in the area, confirmed by VAR. Ademola Lookman stepped up and converted to give the Colchoneros the lead in the 15th minute.
The first half also saw two injuries – Rodrigo Mendoza of Atlético and Raúl Moro of Osasuna – plus a reversed penalty call for the hosts. After reviewing the incident, referee José Mansilla ruled that Madrid goalkeeper Juan Musso had only punched the ball, avoiding contact with Ante Budimir.
In the second half, Diego Simeone introduced Alexander Sorloth for Thiago Almada, and the Norwegian striker doubled the lead in the 71st minute, set up by Marcos Llorente, who was later sent off in the 79th minute.
Osasuna pulled one back through Kike Barja in the 91st minute, but it was not enough to prevent defeat. The team remains deep in the relegation fight, sitting just three points above the bottom three. However, they are only two points off the European places, with a game in hand over their rivals in that race.
Atlético, on the other hand, are assured of at least fourth place but still dream of overtaking Villarreal for third. The Yellow Submarine currently hold a three-point lead, though they have yet to play their 36th-round fixture. On Wednesday, Villarreal host struggling Sevilla.