Atletico Madrid moved provisionally top of La Liga on Saturday with a controlled 2-0 win at Levante, Alejandro Grimaldo and Giuliano Simeone scoring in either half at the Ciutat de Valencia to make it seven straight league victories for Diego Simeone's side.
Atletico arrived in Valencia knowing a win would lift them above Barcelona, who suffered their first league defeat in El Clasico last weekend, and they never really looked like wasting the chance. Levante, starting the day just above the relegation zone, competed gamely for long spells but were undone by two moments of quality, both created by Alex Baena, as theScore reported from the AFP wire.
Grimaldo Punishes Levante's Mistake
The visitors thought they had scored early when Morten Hjulmand finished smartly from close range just after the quarter-hour, only for VAR to rule the goal out for offside. Levante's reprieve lasted until the 36th minute. Baena's pass was poorly defended, Jon Ander Olasagasti failed to intercept, and the ball ran through to Grimaldo, who lashed it high into the net at the near post past Mathew Ryan.
It was Grimaldo's fourth league goal of the season. The left-back now has six goal contributions in La Liga, the highest tally of any defender in the division, and his threat from the left has become one of the defining features of this Atletico side. Kang-In Lee rattled the crossbar for the hosts as Levante chased an equaliser, but Atletico's back line, which has now kept three successive league clean sheets, held firm.
Giuliano Finishes the Job
The second goal arrived on 62 minutes and it killed the contest. Baena slipped a delightful through ball into Giuliano Simeone, and the coach's son placed his finish brilliantly past Ryan to double the lead. From there Atletico managed the closing stages expertly, slowing the tempo and denying Levante any route back into the game.
The numbers behind the win are formidable. Atletico are unbeaten in nine matches in all competitions, have won seven league games in a row — their best run since an eight-game streak in January 2025 — and have conceded just eight goals in 11 league matches. There was also a personal milestone for Diego Simeone: this was his 344th La Liga victory as a coach, in his 565th match, equalling the all-time division record held by Luis Aragones, who needed 756 games to reach the same mark, a landmark also noted by TSN in its Associated Press coverage.
So What Does It Mean?
Atletico sit on 28 points, one clear of Barcelona, although the champions can reclaim top spot when they host Alaves later on Saturday. Whatever happens at Camp Nou, the real test of this run comes in the next eight days: Atletico host Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday, then welcome Barcelona to the Metropolitano next weekend in a match that could reshape the title race. To extend their winning streak to eight and equal their best run under Simeone, they will have to beat Barcelona themselves.
Levante, meanwhile, drop to 16th and remain just one point clear of the relegation zone. Their home form was supposed to be their shield this season, and defeats like this one — competitive but ultimately comfortable for the visitors — are the kind that drag a team into trouble. The weekend's other La Liga action saw Espanyol win at Villarreal on Friday night, while Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid, third in the table, visit Racing Santander on Sunday.
Players wore black armbands across Spain this weekend as the country mourns after a deadly train collision, with the Spanish federation postponing 24 Copa del Rey ties.
Beyond the Final Whistle: This is no longer a hot streak, it is a title challenge with a system behind it. Atletico are winning with the league's meanest defence, a left-back producing a winger's numbers and goals spread through the team rather than carried by one star. Barcelona may take top spot back tonight, but Simeone equalling Aragones' wins record on the day his team went top feels symbolic: the most Simeone side in years is doing it the Simeone way, and the rest of La Liga should be worried. Can Atletico beat Barcelona at the Metropolitano next weekend and prove they are the real favourites for this title?
