Suárez stays hot, helps Atlético increase its lead in Spain
MADRID (AP) — Luis Suárez continued his stellar form with Atlético Madrid on Sunday, scoring twice in a 4-2 win over Cádiz to help Diego Simeone’s team open a 10-point lead in the Spanish league.
Suárez scored a goal in each half to reach 14 league goals this season, marking his best-ever league start in Spain and becoming the league’s leading scorer. The Uruguay striker, who was let go by Barcelona at the end of last season, has scored nine goals in his last eight matches with Atlético. He has also been decisive by setting up his teammates a few times.
“When a striker is on a roll, you have to take advantage of it,” Suárez said. “You have to enjoy it because it’s hard to stay at this level the whole year.”
It was the eighth league win in a row for Atlético, which reaches the halfway mark of the season 10 points ahead of second-place Real Madrid with a game in hand.
“Every match is an important step toward reaching our goal,” Simeone said. “To continue like this we have to keep focused on match after match.”
Simeone’s team has 50 points from 19 matches, remaining on pace for a 100-point season for the first time.
“These are important numbers that put us at the top,” Suárez said. “We have to stay on this path.”
Suárez opened the scoring with a well-placed curling free kick in the 28th minute and added his second from the penalty spot in the 50th.
Saúl Ñíguez netted before halftime and Koke Resurrección got on the board near the end of the match to complete the scoring for Atlético, which is seeking its first league title since 2014.
Cádiz, winless in its last three league matches and sitting 13th in the standings, got goals from Álvaro Negredo in the 35th and 71st minutes.
Barcelona can move to second place with a home win against Athletic Bilbao later Sunday. Struggling Real Madrid lost 2-1 to Levante at home on Saturday.
OTHER RESULTS
Celta Vigo and Granada failed to move closer to the top of the standings after a scoreless draw in Granada. Celta, winless in its past six games in all competitions, stayed in 10th place. Granada was seventh.
Celta was held despite the return of striker Iago Aspas, who had been sidelined for nearly a month because of a muscle injury.
Earlier on Sunday, 12th-place Getafe was held to a 0-0 draw against Alavés, which had lost four in a row in all competitions and is just inside in the relegation zone.
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