Daijiworld Media Network - Seville

Seville, Oct 28: Atletico Madrid secured a strong 2-0 victory over Real Betis on Monday, climbing to fourth place in La Liga and recovering from their midweek Champions League defeat to Arsenal.

Playing at La Cartuja stadium, where Betis are temporarily based, Diego Simeone’s men delivered a composed performance to register their first away win of the season and only their second clean sheet in nine matches across all competitions.

Giuliano Simeone, the coach’s son, gave Atletico an early lead with a precise volley from the edge of the box. Star summer signing Alex Baena added a second before half-time, curling home his first goal for the club to seal the Rojiblancos’ advantage.

“This is an important win, hard-fought, and I’m happy,” said goalkeeper Jan Oblak after the match. “I hope we continue like this, away from home, not just at home. It was a great effort from the whole team.”

Real Betis dominated possession in the second half and came close when Abde Ezzalzouli’s free-kick struck the crossbar, but Atletico’s defence held firm.

With the win, Atletico trail leaders Real Madrid by eight points and remain the only team to have beaten them this season. Giuliano Simeone, who dedicated his goal to his newborn nephew Faustino, said the victory reflected the team’s hard work and unity.

“Nothing changes for me,” said Diego Simeone with a smile when asked about becoming a grandfather, praising his son’s performance.

Real Betis, managed by Manuel Pellegrini, dropped to sixth and are now three points behind Atletico. “We were lacking sharpness in the final third,” admitted midfielder Giovani Lo Celso. “But the team worked hard, and we’ll keep fighting for our fans who supported us despite the rain.”