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Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann scored a hat-trick to earn his side a 3-0 win at struggling Celta Vigo, who played most of the La Liga match on Saturday with 10 men after goalkeeper Ivan Villar was sent off early in the first half.
The French forward opened the scoring from the spot in the 29th minute after Villar was shown a straight red for a foul inside the penalty area on Alvaro Morata.
Villar failed to hold on to high ball inside the box and made his blunder even worse as he dived onto Morata’s legs in a schoolboy attempt to prevent him reaching the loose ball.
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The visitors wasted several chances to extend their lead and were often exposed to dangerous counter-attacks by battling Celta, with Jorgen Strand Larsen wasting a golden opportunity from close range and Jonathan Bamba firing a strike off the crossbar.
Griezmann finally struck from inside the box in the 64th minute, however, wrongfooting the goalkeeper who was deceived by the Frenchman’s cross.
He guaranteed the win six minutes later with a tap-in under the goalkeeper from close range after a quick counter-attack led by Nahuel Molina.
It was Griezmann’s seventh goal of the La Liga season, as he trails top-scorer Jude Bellingham by one goal.
“We were very effective and are playing with a lot of confidence,” Griezmann told Movistar Plus.
“It was difficult for us to create chances and filter passes to those up front as they were defending well early.
“When they were down to ten men it was easier. They pressed us at the end of the first half, we got in too deep. But at 0-2 we were more relaxed on the ball. It was a great victory.”
Atletico, who has a game in hand, moved up to 22 points from nine games and is second in the standings and level with Girona, three points behind leaders Real Madrid and one ahead of fourth-placed Barcelona.
Former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez’s Celta is in the relegation zone with six points from 10 games.
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