Euro Leagues | Vital win takes Atletico five points clear

LaLiga leader Atletico Madrid secured a vital 2-0 win away to Villarreal on Sunday to reaffirm its title ambitions following a difficult run of results.

Diego Simeone’s side were smarting from twin defeats to Levante and Chelsea but went ahead in the 25th minute courtesy of an Alfonso Pedraza own goal following a goalmouth scramble. Record signing Joao Felix came off the bench to double the lead in the 69th on the volley. A first win in four games in all competitions moved Atletico on to 58 points after 24 games, five clear of second-placed Barcelona, who have played 25.

A Curtis Jones strike and a Kean Bryan own goal gave Liverpool a 2-0 win over bottom side Sheffield United on Sunday as the stuttering Reds snapped a run of four straight PL defeats.

The results:

LaLiga: Villarreal 0 lost to Atletico Madrid 2 (Pedraza 25-og, Felix 69); Celta Vigo 1 (Murillo 90+4) drew with Real Valladolid 1 (Orellana 70); Cadiz 0 lost to Real Betis 1 (Juanmi 84); Granada 2 (Quina 31, Puertas 79) bt Elche 1 (Boye 40).

Premier League: Chelsea 0 drew with Manchester United 0; Sheffield United 0 lost to Liverpool 2 (Jones 48, Bryan 64-og).

Serie A: Crotone 0 lost to Cagliari 2 (Pavoletti 56, Joao Pedro 60-pen); Udinese 1 (Nestorovski 86) bt Fiorentina 0; Inter Milan 3 (Lukaku 1, Darmian 69, Sanchez 77) bt Genoa 0; Napoli 2 (Mertens 34, Politano 66) bt Benevento 0; Roma 1 (Veretout 50) lost to AC Milan 2 (Kessie 43-pen, Rebic 58).

Bundesliga: Mainz 0 lost to Augsburg 1 (Hahn 25); Bayer Leverkusen 1 (Bailey 70) lost to Freiburg 2 (Demirovic 50, Hoeler 61).