Atletico back to winning ways in La Liga

An own-goal by Alfonso Pedraza in the first half and a goal by substitute Joao Felix in the second helped Atletico end a three-game winless streak and rebuild their lead over second-place Barcelona - who they have a game in hand over.

Third-place Real Madrid can get back to within three points of Atletico with a win against fifth-place Real Sociedad at home in Monday's game.

Atletico hosts Madrid in the city derby next Sunday.

Diego Simeone's team were coming off a 1-0 loss to Chelsea in the first leg of the round of 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday.

It also lost 2-0 to Levante at home in the Spanish league, and had previously drawn with Levante in a league match postponed from the second round because of the coronavirus pandemic.

"It was a very important victory," Atletico defender Stefan Savic said.

"We were coming off a bad streak of results and the team responded well. That's what makes me happy."

It was Atletico's first clean sheet after eight matches, which had marked their worst streak conceding goals since Simeone arrived in late 2011.

Unai Emery's Villarreal, winless in six consecutive league games, drop to seventh.

Atletico went ahead in the 25th minute after Savic's header was saved by Villarreal goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo but the ball ricocheted off Pedraza and went in.

The goal was initially disallowed for offside but later confirmed by video review.

Felix, who recently was sidelined for testing positive for COVID-19, scored his first goal since January with a low shot from inside the area in the 69th.

Colombian defender Jeison Murillo scored in the final minute of stoppage time to salvage a 1-1 draw for mid-table Celta Vigo against relegation-threatened Valladolid.

Eighth-place Granada ended a six-match winless streak by beating second-to-last-place Elche 2-1.

Juanmi Jimenez scored in the 84th as Real Betis won 1-0 at Cadiz for a third win in a row that has the victors sitting sixth.

Australian Associated Press