Atletico and Villarreal secure victories to maintain chase on La Liga frontrunners

Antoine Griezmann entered as a substitute and scored a pair of goals for Atletico Madrid, enabling them to defeat Levante 3-1 in La Liga on Saturday.

Villarreal climbed to second place temporarily thanks to a 2-0 triumph over Espanyol, as Diego Simeones Atletico sit in fourth position.

La Liga frontrunners Real Madrid head to the other side of the city to meet Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, while title holders Barcelona, in third, travel to Celta Vigo.

Atletico extended their unbeaten streak to 11 La Liga outings, largely due to the seasoned strikers influence in the latter stages of a closely contested success.

An own goal by Adrian de la Fuente put the home team in front at the Metropolitano stadium, yet Levante equalised via Manu Sanchez.

Atleticos all time leading marksman Griezmann substituted in after 60 minutes and netted twice to secure the full points for his team, drawing them level with Barcelona.

"We sometimes struggle to uncover answers during games, but substitutes always deliver energy," Griezmann shared with Movistar.

"Outfits that advance deeply in various tournaments achieve it through strong squad options, and everyone must prepare, whether starting or waiting on the sidelines."

Griezmann has only begun one of Atleticos previous five fixtures in all competitions, with Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth typically selected ahead by Simeone in attack.

"Every player desires minutes on the pitch, its natural and brings joy. My colleagues share that drive too, yet nobody complains," Griezmann explained to journalists.

"Particularly not myself, since I serve as a role model for observers and my son watching from the seats."

Atletico have opened the scoring in each league encounter this term and took the initiative in the 12th minute versus Levante.

Pablo Barrios effort from the right flank as a cross was parried by Espanyol keeper Mathew Ryan, only for it to fall to the unfortunate De la Fuente who bundled it into his own goal.

Levante restored parity on 21 minutes when Atletico lost focus during a set piece, allowing Sanchez to head in unchallenged near the far upright.

Simeone introduced star player Griezmann shortly past the hour, and the 34 year old struck after just 28 seconds.

Griezmann finished from near point blank after Marcos Llorente pulled the ball across for him, restoring Atleticos advantage.

This marked the quickest substitute goal in La Liga over the last ten years.

Griezmann added his brace with ten minutes left, pouncing after Ryan stopped Julian Alvarez, with the rebound perfectly placed for the Frenchman to poke beyond the line.

Levantes Carlos Alvarez struck a low free kick in added time, but officials disallowed it due to offside on Matias Moreno who attempted a touch right before Oblak.

Even with their solid showing, Levante remain 17th and risk sliding into the drop zone, as the three sides beneath them compete on Sunday.

Smooth progress

Villarreal enjoyed a straightforward win at Espanyol, with goals from Gerard Moreno and Alberto Moleiro for the Yellow Submarine.

This result positioned them four points behind Xabi Alonsos Real Madrid and a single point clear of Barcelona.

Marcelino Garcia Torals team had endured a humiliating loss to Cypriot underdogs Pafos in the Champions League midweek, but bounced back at the RCDE Stadium.

Experienced striker Moreno bent in a shot from outside the area to give the away side the edge in the 43rd minute, against his old employers.

Moleiro made it two soon after the interval, tapping in the rebound following his initial attempt being blocked by Marko Dmitrovic.

"This holds great significance at such a tough venue," said Moreno, who featured over 100 times for Espanyol, to DAZN.

"I hold much admiration for Espanyol, after many seasons there, and appreciate the affection shown," he added.

"Returning stirs numerous feelings... I owe them thanks, they consistently welcome me warmly."