Antoine Griezmann netted a hat trick to lead Atletico Madrid to a 3-0 victory over Getafe in the Spanish league on Wednesday, securing their place in next season’s Champions League. The French forward scored twice in the first half and added another in the second, ensuring Atletico’s 12th consecutive appearance in Europe’s premier club competition.
The win moved Atletico 11 points clear of fifth-place Athletic Bilbao with just two rounds remaining. Athletic Bilbao’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League were dashed following their 2-1 loss to Celta Vigo.
Griezmann’s last goals came five matches ago in a 3-1 victory over Girona. “We’ve been qualifying for the Champions League for many years now, and that has to be valued,” Griezmann remarked.
This victory marked Atletico’s fourth consecutive league win and extended Getafe’s losing streak to three matches, leaving them in 10th place. With two games left, Diego Simeone’s squad sits comfortably in fourth place with 73 points, 11 points ahead of Athletic Bilbao.
Relegation Battle Heats Up
Wednesday also saw crucial victories for three teams battling relegation. In addition to Celta Vigo’s win over Athletic Bilbao, Rayo Vallecano triumphed 2-1 over Granada at home, and Cadiz secured a 1-0 win at Sevilla.
Celta Vigo opened a five-point gap over Cadiz, who remain the first team inside the relegation zone. Rayo Vallecano sits one point ahead of Celta, while Cadiz is four points from safety.
Despite playing with 10 men after Oscar Trejo’s early red card, Rayo managed to secure the win against Granada, highlighting the intensity of the relegation fight as the season nears its end.
