Atlético: Moyá; Juanfran, Giménez, Godín, Siquiera; Gabi, Tiago; Koke, Griezmann (Saúl Ñíguez 84‘), Arda Turan (Raúl García 66‘); Mandzukic (Raúl Jiménez 79‘). 4-2-3-1.
Levante: Diego Mariño; Iván López, Vyntra, Juanfran, Nikos Karabelas (Barral 73’); Diop, Sissoko; Morales, Víctor Casadesús, Ivanschitz; Rafael Martins (El Zhar 60‘). 4-2-3-1.
Goals:
1-0. 18. Griezmann. Looped near post header over Mariño from Siquiera cross.
2-0. 47. Griezmann. Header from clearance which Mariño couldn’t keep out.
2-1. 62. El Zhar. Deflected ball wide of Moyà from long Iván López shot.
3-1. 82. Godín. Got in front of keeper to steer header into net from Tiago centre.
Yellow cards: Juanfran 11’, Diop 23’, Mandzukic 42’, Raúl García 75’, Sissoko 75’.
La Liga returned after the two week winter break, Atlético Madrid opening the new year with a 3-1 victory over Levante. Curiously it was Griezmann, scorer of the last goal in 2014, who also got the first in 2015, steering a header over Diego Mariño from Siqueira’s cross with just under twenty minutes gone. Arda Turan fired a couple of shots wide and Mariño had to stop Vyntra from putting through his own net later in the first half, and just two minutes after the restart Griezmann headed in the second after Vyntra tried to clear a header by Mandzukic which came back off the post. Mandukic and Tiago went close after that, but with an hour on the clock Mandzukic cleared a Casadesús header off the line, and Iván López drilled the rebound back in to the box for El Zhar to deflect the ball past Moyà. Casadesús and López tried their luck in the next few minutes as Lucas Alcaráz threw on more fire power, and there were some nervous moments for the home fans before Godín made it three, again with a header from Tiago’s cross, with eight minutes to go. The result means that Simeone’s side move level with Barcelona and just a point behind Real Madrid pending their games on Sunday.