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Nov 22, 2015 at 7.30pm UK
 
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Koke (7')

Koke leads Atletico Madrid to second in La Liga

:Headline: Result: Koke leads Atletico Madrid to second in La Liga: ID:258742: from db_amp
Koke's early strike secures the points as Atletico Madrid climb up to second with a 1-0 win over Real Betis.

An early goal from Koke secured a 1-0 win over Real Betis as Atletico Madrid have moved up to second in La Liga.

Real Madrid's defeat to leaders Barcelona opened the door for Atletico to close the gap, and Diego Simeone watched his players take the opportunity with a typically hard-earned victory.

Atletico were in front within seven minutes at the Estadio Benito Villamarin thanks to Koke, who slotted home calmly after Antonio Adan could only parry a shot from Fernando Torres.

It was the worst possible start to the game for Betis, who struggled to break down the stubborn Atletico defence despite enjoying long spells on the ball.

The lead should have been doubled by the visitors midway through the first half when Torres flicked on a cross, but Antoine Griezmann could only send his volley over the crossbar.

Despite the two defences looking solid for much of the game, Atletico were left frustrated by their missed opportunities as Yannick Ferreira Carrasco shot wide after being played through by Koke.

Betis stepped up the tempo after the break to cause more problems for Atletico, and only Jan Oblak's fine tip over the crossbar prevented Cejudo from equalising with a long-range effort.

It was Atletico who looked the stronger of the two sides as the match progressed, though, with Griezmann wasting another good chance by firing over after beating the offside trap.

Griezmann was certain he should have been awarded a penalty moments later when Heiko Westermann appeared to catch the Frenchman with a desperate tackle, but the referee ignored the protests from the away side.

Betis committed more men forward late on as they searched for a leveller, but Atletico held firm and almost added a second on the break when Griezmann rattled the post, before the win which moves them to within four points of Barcelona was confirmed.

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Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Barcelona13110240122833
2Real Madrid1283125111427
3Atletico MadridAtletico137511971226
4Villarreal127322319424
5Osasuna136341720-321
6Athletic Bilbao135531913620
7Real BetisBetis135531412220
8Real Sociedad135351110118
9Mallorca135351010018
10GironaGirona135351617-118
11Celta Vigo135262022-217
12Rayo Vallecano124441313016
13Sevilla134361218-615
14Leganes133551316-314
15AlavesAlaves134181422-813
16Las PalmasLas Palmas133371622-612
17Getafe13175811-310
18Espanyol123181122-1110
19Real ValladolidValladolid132381025-159
20Valencia11146817-97
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