Alvarez gives Atletico victory over Deportivo and apologizes to fans

Alvarez goal gives Atletico the win

Atletico Madrid beat Deportivo La Coruna 1-0 in Saturday's La Liga match and cut the gap to leaders Barcelona to two points, AFP reports. The only goal was scored by Julian Alvarez — his second match in a row with a goal after his first strike of the season in the 1-1 draw with Stuttgart in the Champions League in midweek. Diego Simeone's side sit second; on Sunday champions Barcelona host third-placed Real in the Clasico at Camp Nou.

Apology after conflict with fans

Atletico fans whistled at Alvarez in the first matches of the season after his summer attempt to leave the club, but the tension gradually eased. After the game, according to AFP, the forward apologized to the fans and called what happened a 'mistake'. 'I understand people's anger, I would be angry too,' Alvarez said on Movistar. He also noted that he is 'starting to feel good' and is grateful to his teammates for their support. Simeone approved of the player's gesture: 'It's not easy to apologize, I'm very happy for him.' Goalkeeper Jan Oblak expressed confidence that Alvarez will gradually win back the fans' affection.

How the match unfolded

After a slow start, the Metropolitano crowd directed several whistles at the team, and the best chance of the first half fell to Deportivo — Oblak did well to deal with Lorenzo Amatucci's shot. Early in the second half, Alvarez finished off a low pass from Alejandro Grimaldo at the far post. The former Manchester City forward, who had previously struggled with his fitness, looked noticeably closer to his best form: after a move involving Alex Baena he nearly scored a second, but Deportivo goalkeeper Leo Roman saved his attempted chip. In stoppage time, Deportivo missed two chances: Kevin Sanchez fired well wide from Adama Traore's delivery, and then Oblak saved on the line a shot from the same Sanchezthat seemed certain to produce a goal. 'In the first half we played quite poorly, better in the second, but we dropped off again at the end. We were a bit lucky,' Oblak admitted.

Villarreal snatch derby win over Valencia

In the earlier match, Georges Mikautadze gave Villarreal a 2-1 derby win over Valencia, scoring in the final minute of added time. Valencia opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the first half through Pepelu, and on 69 minutes American defender Alex Freeman headed in the equalizer at Mestalla. Both teams finished with ten men: for Villarreal, Pape Gueye was sent off for elbowing Jose Gaya in the face, while Valencia's Harvey Elliott, on loan from Liverpool, was dismissed for two quick yellow cards for blatant dissent. Villarreal climbed to mid-table, while Javier Aguirre's side dropped to 19th place, in the relegation zone.

What the result means

The win allows Atletico to keep up the pressure on Barcelona and Real ahead of the Clasico, which could change the picture at the top of the table. For Alvarez, the goal and the public apology are an important step toward reconciliation with fans whose discontent, according to the player and the coach themselves, was a serious factor in the opening weeks of the season. For Valencia, the defeat means staying in the relegation zone, which increases the pressure on Javier Aguirre's team.