Atletico edge Osasuna to claim top spot with Alvarez goal

MADRID :Atletico Madrid claimed a 1-0 home win over Osasuna on Sunday to move top of the LaLiga standings thanks to a second-half goal from Julian Alvarez.

Leaders Atletico Madrid secured their 14th consecutive victory across all competitions, a club record, to reach 44 points, one ahead of second-placed Real Madrid. It's seven games without a win in the league for Osasuna, who are 11th with 25.

"We are very happy (with our streak), we’ve been doing great work, but we have to keep working with humility. Good things will come," Alvarez said.

The hosts dominated the match from the start, and Antoine Griezmann should have put them in front in the seventh minute when he latched onto Nahuel Molina's cross and found the net but the ball had struck his elbow, and VAR ruled it out.

Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera got down to deny Alvarez in the 12th and 36th minute, while a long-range shot from Osasuna midfielder Pablo Ibanez bounced off the woodwork.

Atleti had around 60 per cent possession in the first half and had several chances in the second but struggled to convert that to goals before breaking the deadlock 10 minutes into the second half with a clever corner routine.

Griezmann, taking the corner, played a one-two with Rodrigo De Paul before crossing to Clement Lenglet at the far post, who headed it down to Alvarez and the Argentine calmly slotted a low shot from the centre of the six-yard box into the net.

"I had several (chances) in the first half and I was upset at halftime, but I focused on the next chance. It was one of the plays we practiced in the past few days," Alvarez said.

"We had several days to work on it, and it worked out. Scoring from set pieces in games like this is important and helps us continue adding three points."