LaLiga: Atletico Keeps Title Hopes Alive with 2-1 Win Over Sevilla

Atletico Madrid edges Sevilla 2-1 in a thrilling match, with Pablo Barrios scoring the winning goal in stoppage time to keep their title hopes alive.

Atletico Madrid kept their faint title hopes alive with a thrilling 2-1 win over Sevilla, thanks to a late winner from Barrios. This marked the second consecutive week that Sevilla had let a lead slip, resulting in a 2-1 defeat. The loss extended Sevilla's winless run to six games, leaving their fans frustrated and anxious for a turnaround.

Sevilla's struggles at home continued, with the team failing to win in five straight league games at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan. This was their worst home run in the competition since an eight-game period that ended in February 2024, when they had defeated Atletico 1-0. The pressure mounted on Sevilla's coaching staff as they looked to address their team's poor form and find a way to break their losing streak.

Sevilla's woes seemed to be deepening just seven minutes into the match, when a clever interplay on the left between Ruben Vargas and Adria Pedrosa created a scoring opportunity. Pedrosa's cross into the box was cleared, but only as far as Lucien Agoume, who seized the chance to rocket a strike into the top-right corner, past Jan Oblak, to open his account for the 2024/25 season.

The Sevillistas could have doubled their lead shortly after, but Oblak made a crucial save to palm away an attempted pass into the box by Chidera Ejuke. The deflection prevented a lurking Agoume from capitalizing on the rebound. However, Oblak's heroics were matched by a mistake from his own defense, as Atletico was awarded a penalty on 23 minutes. Conor Gallagher was fouled by Loic Bade as he bore down on goal, and Julian Alvarez stepped up to score the penalty, sending Orjan Nyland the wrong way and leveling the score.

The match remained intense, with both teams creating scoring chances. Around the half-hour mark, Akor Adams received a great pass inside the box, but Oblak made another crucial save, stopping the ball and sending Adams to the turf. There was a shout for a penalty, with some arguing that contact on the follow-through warranted a spot kick. However, the referee did not award a penalty, and the score remained level heading into the second half.

FT: #SevillaFCAtleti 1-2@atletienglish win in overtime at Sevilla 👏#LALIGAEASPORTS pic.twitter.com/pHyWa0dWJV

— LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) April 6, 2025

The first half ended on a largely attritional note, with both teams struggling to create clear-cut chances. However, the intensity picked up early in the second half, with Orjan Nyland making a crucial save to deny Giuliano Simeone's goal-bound shot. Nyland's alertness prevented Sevilla from taking the lead, but the hosts continued to match Atletico's intensity as the hour mark passed.

Despite their efforts, Sevilla lacked the skill and creativity needed to restore their lead. Atletico, on the other hand, had Rodrigo Riquelme making an impact in the latter stages, but he was well marked by Kike Salas, who outmuscled him in an aerial duel and blocked a shot at close range. Loic Bade also had a chance to score, heading over by inches from a corner, but it proved to be a costly miss.

In the end, it was Atletico Madrid who capitalized on Sevilla's mistakes, with Pablo Barrios scoring the winning goal in the third minute of stoppage time. Barrios' impressive solo run culminated in a low shot that sailed past Nyland, securing a 2-1 win for Atletico. The result dealt a significant blow to Sevilla's European hopes, making it all but impossible for them to secure a European placing. Meanwhile, Atletico's title bid received a boost, with the team now just seven points off top spot with eight games remaining.