Atletico Madrid revived their hopes of securing a top-8 finish in the Champions League standings, which would earn them a direct spot in the round of 16.
The Spanish side claimed a crucial and well-earned 3-1 victory over Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday in the sixth round of the group stage, continuing their resurgence in the competition.
At the Civitas Metropolitano stadium, Atletico took the lead in the 16th minute, courtesy of Argentine Julian Alvarez. French forward Antoine Griezmann doubled the advantage just before halftime, scoring in the 42nd minute.
Slovan Bratislava responded in the 51st minute with a goal from David Strelic, but Griezmann struck again six minutes later, netting Atletico’s third goal and his second of the match in the 57th minute.
With this victory, Atletico Madrid secured their fourth win in the competition and their third consecutive victory, bringing their points total to 12, temporarily placing them in 10th position until the remaining group-stage matches are played.
Atletico began their campaign with a win over Leipzig, but suffered defeats to Benfica and Lille in the following rounds. However, they bounced back with victories over Paris Saint-Germain and Sparta Prague in the last two rounds.
On the other hand, Slovan Bratislava remained winless, having lost all six of their group-stage matches, and are at the bottom of the table. They were defeated by Celtic, Manchester City, Girona, Dinamo Zagreb, and Milan.
