Atlético Madrid returned to winning ways with a crucial 2–0 victory away to Real Betis on Monday night, responding strongly after last week’s 4–0 Champions League defeat to Arsenal.
Goals from Giuliano Simeone and Alex Baena in the first half secured a much-needed win for Diego Simeone’s side, who climbed to fourth place in La Liga. The match, played at La Cartuja stadium — Betis’ temporary home — also marked Atlético’s first away win and second clean sheet in their last nine matches across all competitions.
Giuliano Simeone, son of the Atlético coach, opened the scoring early with a crisp volley from the edge of the box, showing poise beyond his years. Moments before halftime, summer signing Baena doubled the lead with a beautiful curling finish, netting his first goal for the club since joining from Villarreal.
Goalkeeper Jan Oblak praised the team’s response after the final whistle, saying, “This was an important win — hard-fought and deserved. We needed to show this mentality away from home.”
Real Betis came out stronger in the second half, with Abde Ezzalzouli hitting the crossbar from a free-kick, but Atlético’s defence stood firm under pressure. Rüdiger and Hermoso marshalled the back line effectively as Oblak preserved a vital clean sheet.
Giuliano dedicated his goal to his newborn nephew, Faustino, making an ‘F’ with his fingers in celebration — a moment that made Diego Simeone a proud grandfather. “Nothing changes for me,” the Atlético boss smiled post-match, “but I’m happy for my son and for the team’s reaction.”
For Manuel Pellegrini’s Betis, the defeat meant a slip to sixth place, three points behind Atlético. “We lacked sharpness in the final third,” admitted Giovani Lo Celso, urging his teammates to regroup after a hard-fought encounter.
With this victory, Atlético stay eight points behind league leaders Real Madrid but regain crucial momentum in their La Liga campaign.
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