Late Winner Extends Atletico Madrid's Winning Streak

In-form Atletico Madrid secured their sixth consecutive victory across all competitions, as Diego Simeone's men edged past Espanyol 1-0 away from home in round nine of La Liga. Substitute Alex Baena netted the winner just a minute before the end of normal time.

The result means Real Madrid cannot move up to second place ahead of next weekend's Clasico against Barcelona.

In the league alone, this marks Atleti's fifth straight win, coming just days after their 2-0 triumph over Manchester United in the Champions League.

Atletico deservedly came away with all three points, despite meeting fierce resistance from their Catalan hosts. Los Rojiblancos squandered several clear-cut opportunities and also rattled the woodwork through a Marcos Llorente strike in the 61st minute.

Espanyol carried a threat of their own on several occasions and also hit the woodwork when captain Leandro Cabrera struck the frame of the goal in the 44th minute.

Cholo's substitutions proved decisive. Julian Alvarez controlled the ball after coming off the bench and picked out fellow substitute Baena, who beat goalkeeper Angel Fortuno with a pinpoint long-range effort in the 89th minute.

During stoppage time, Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak produced two vital saves to preserve the victory for his side.

Next week, the capital club visit Stuttgart in the Champions League on Tuesday before hosting Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday.

The defeat compounds Espanyol's poor run of form, leaving them with just one win from their last eight matches.