Atletico Beat Levante 2-0 to Go Top of La Liga

Atletico Madrid won 2-0 at Levante on Saturday to move provisionally top of La Liga. Grimaldo scored in the 36th minute and Giuliano Simeone added the second in the 62nd minute, set up by Alex Baena. The result was Atletico's seventh straight league win and it lifted them to 28 points, one point ahead of Barcelona, who play Alaves later.

The win also carried a personal mark for head coach Diego Simeone. It was his 344th La Liga win with Atletico, a total that matches the club record held by Luis Aragones. Few numbers explain Simeone's long spell in charge better than that one. Aragones is one of the defining figures in Atletico history, and Simeone now stands level with him for league wins.

Early VAR call, then Grimaldo strikes

The first big moment came in the 17th minute when a goal for Morten Hjulmand was disallowed after a VAR check. The decision kept the score at 0-0 and kept Levante in the game during a spell when neither side had full control.

The breakthrough came in the 36th minute. Levante missed an interception and Grimaldo took his chance, lashing the ball in at the near post. It was a sharp finish from a half chance, the kind of moment that has decided many of Atletico's close games this season. Levante had defended well until that error, but one missed interception was enough to change the match.

Baena sets up Simeone for the second

Levante needed a response after half time, but Atletico stayed compact and waited for space to open. The second goal arrived in the 62nd minute. Alex Baena created it and Giuliano Simeone finished it, giving Atletico the cushion their control had threatened to bring.

That goal was the turning point in practical terms. At 1-0, Levante still had a route back through one set piece or one break. At 2-0, Atletico could protect their box, slow the game in midfield and force Levante to take risks that played into their hands. The visitors saw out the closing stages without giving Levante a clear way back.

Why it matters

Seven straight league wins is the form of a title contender. Atletico have built this run on clean defending, patience and goals spread across the team, and this win followed that pattern. They did not need long spells of pressure. They needed two well taken chances and a defence that held its shape for 90 minutes.

The table now puts pressure on Barcelona. Atletico sit top on 28 points, one ahead of Barcelona, who play Alaves later. That lead is provisional, and Barcelona can respond in their game, but Atletico have done their part of the job. Winning away on a day when a goal was disallowed and the hosts defended deep is the sort of result that keeps a title race moving.

What happens next

For Simeone, the record adds weight to the result. Matching Aragones on 344 league wins underlines how long he has kept Atletico near the top of Spanish football. One more win would move him clear on his own, and on current form his team will expect to chase that mark quickly.

For Levante, the lesson is harsh but clear. They competed for long spells, survived the VAR moment in the 17th minute and still lost because of two moments: a missed interception before Grimaldo's goal and the space Baena found before the second. Small errors decide games against teams on a run like Atletico's.