Atlético 16 unbeaten, Griezmann keeps scoring and defenders keep getting injured

Atlético Madrid are unbeaten in their last 16 LaLiga games after beating Levante at the Wanda Metropolitano on Sunday afternoon thanks to an Antoine Griezmann penalty. They have also won four of their last five and currently sit two points behind Barcelona in the league with the leaders playing Eibar at the Camp Nou later on Sunday.

Griezmann continued his excellent scoring streak with his sixth in five LaLiga games when he slotted home a second half penalty, which was won when Thomas Partey drove into the penalty area and kicked the ball off the hand of sliding defender, Nikola Vukčević.

After the game, Simeone didn’t want to get involved in the decision, saying “there have been times when we kicked the ball in and it hit a hand but it wasn’t a penalty, but today we kicked it and it hit a hand and it was a penalty.”

Simeone says it wasn’t the best performance of the season but it was “one of the best” and he praised their high pressure and the chances on goal - all 16 of them.

It wasn’t all good news for Simeone though as Stefan Savic lasted just nine minutes before going off with a muscular injury. It’s Atlético’s 29th injury of the season and Savic’s third. Jose Gimenez, his replacement, has suffered the most with four and Diego Costa has missed the most games with 14. The only players who have not been injured this season are Oblak, Griezmann, Saúl, Rodrigo, Thomas, Correa and Adán.

Another positive note on the game was Vitolo’s performance. He went off in the second half to a standing ovation. Atlético fans want to see more of the winger and after Sunday’s performance, he might have jumped to the top of the pecking order. Diario As declared him “the signing of the winter market” after his excellent display.

Atlético play Huesca, Girona (Copa del Rey), Getafe and Real Betis before things get very serious. They play Real Madrid, Rayo Vallecano and then Juventus in their next three games with two of those games potentially deciding their season.