Alvarez fires Atletico to win against Deportivo

Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez scored the decisive goal, giving his team a 1-0 victory against Deportivo La Coruna in La Liga on Saturday. This win brings Atletico closer to La Liga leaders Barcelona, narrowing the gap to just two points. The champions Barcelona will face Real Madrid in the Clasico at Camp Nou on Sunday. This was Alvarez's second consecutive goal, with his previous one in Atletico's 1-1 Champions League draw against Stuttgart in midweek.

Fans of Atletico, who had previously struggled with Alvarez's departure attempts from the club in the summer, appeared to calm down throughout the game. Deportivo, who had the best chance in the first half, failed to capitalize on their opportunity as Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak made several crucial saves, including one from Lorenzo Amatucci.

In the second half, Alex Baena's dangerous low pass allowed Alvarez to find the back of the net. Earlier in the match, Georges Mikautadze secured a 2-1 win for Villarreal against Valencia in a derby clash, despite Valencia's midfielder Harvey Elliott being sent off. Villarreal maintained their lead despite Inigo Perez's late goal, and Alexander Sorloth missed a chance to score for Atletico.