Atlético Madrid secured a 2-0 victory over Levante on Saturday, a result that saw manager Diego Simeone equal Luis Aragonés’s record for most La Liga wins. The win, Atlético’s seventh consecutive in the league, briefly propelled them to the top of the La Liga table.
Match Overview
The visitors took the lead before half-time. Álex Baena provided the assist for Atlético’s second goal, sealing the win. However, the scoreline did not fully reflect the balance of play, with Levante having a goal from Morten Hjulmand ruled out by VAR in the 17th minute.
Levante created more chances, registering 14 shots from inside the box compared to Atlético’s three. Their expected goals (xG) stood at 1.33 against Atlético’s 0.63, highlighting their attacking efforts. Atlético goalkeeper Jan Oblak was instrumental, making a crucial one-handed save to deny Dani Requena around the tenth minute and earning a rating of 8.08. Levante coach Luís Castro received a yellow card for dissent shortly after Hjulmand’s disallowed goal.
Despite Levante’s attacking output, Atlético maintained more possession with 54% and completed 560 passes to Levante’s 450. Manager Diego Simeone made tactical changes during the game, introducing Jonathan David and Sørloth for Lee Kang-In and Julián Álvarez in the 67th minute, followed by Le Normand and Lookman replacing Barrios and Baena in the 76th minute.
Simeone’s Historic Achievement
Diego Simeone reached the significant milestone in his 565th La Liga match in charge, equalling Luis Aragonés’s record for most victories in the Spanish top flight. While this specific record is now shared, Simeone already surpasses Aragonés in broader club achievements, boasting 479 wins from 813 games across all official competitions with Atlético, compared to Aragonés’s 308 wins from 612 games. Simeone also holds eight trophies as coach, two more than Aragonés’s six.
League Impact and Next Challenges
This victory marks Atlético Madrid’s ninth win, one draw, and one defeat from their 11 league games so far this season. The result temporarily placed them at the summit of La Liga, ahead of rivals like Real Madrid, who sit third with 24 points from 10 games.
For Levante, this was their second consecutive defeat, leaving them in 17th position with 10 points. They will look to bounce back in the Copa del Rey against Tarancón on Thursday, November 5, before their next league fixture away to Celta de Vigo on Sunday, November 8.
Atlético Madrid face a busy week ahead. They host Bayern München in the Champions League on Tuesday, November 3, before a highly anticipated La Liga clash against Barcelona at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Sunday, November 8.