The victory marked Simeone’s 344th La Liga win as Atletico manager, matching the club record held by Luis Aragones.

MADRID: Atletico Madrid moved provisionally to the top of La Liga after securing a 2-0 victory over Levante on Saturday, extending their winning streak to seven league matches.

Diego Simeone’s side climbed one point ahead of Barcelona, who were scheduled to host Alaves later in the day. The Catalan club suffered their first league defeat against arch-rivals Real Madrid last weekend.

Goals from Alejandro Grimaldo and Giuliano Simeone secured another important victory for Atletico, maintaining their strong form and increasing pressure on the defending champions.

“I’m very happy with the team’s work,” Atletico coach Simeone told Movistar.

“We’re very far from the end of the season… we’ll keep going game by game.”

Grimaldo Breaks the Deadlock

The match began with a minute’s silence in memory of the 69 victims of a train crash in Spain’s Toledo province earlier this week.

Levante created an early opportunity through Dani Requena, whose effort forced Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak into an impressive save.

Atletico thought they had taken the lead when Morten Hjulmand scored after being set up by Alex Baena. However, a VAR review ruled the goal out because the Danish player was offside.

Baena continued to influence Atletico’s attacking play and played a key role in the opening goal.

His pass was poorly defended by Levante, allowing the ball to reach Grimaldo, who fired a powerful shot high into the net at the near post.

Giuliano Simeone Seals Victory

Atletico looked to extend their advantage after the break, with Lee Kang-in striking the crossbar early in the second half.

Giuliano Simeone then doubled the visitors’ lead, finishing from close range after being set up by World Cup winner Baena.

Oblak produced another excellent save to deny Karl Etta Eyong and prevent Levante from reducing the deficit.

Simeone Matches Atletico’s La Liga Record

The victory marked Simeone’s 344th La Liga win as Atletico manager, matching the club record held by Luis Aragones.

Simeone, who took charge of Atletico in 2011, played down the personal significance of the achievement and credited his players and colleagues.

“I don’t feel it much as mine, but it belongs to my players, everyone who has been with me for so many years,” he said.

Atletico will host Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday before welcoming Barcelona to the Metropolitano Stadium next weekend in La Liga.

Meanwhile, third-placed Real Madrid, coached by Jose Mourinho, are scheduled to visit Racing Santander on Sunday.