Simeone and Baena strike as Atletico beat Betis to extend unbeaten run

Atletico Madrid extended their unbeaten run in LaLiga to nine matches with a 2-0 victory over hosts Real Betis on Monday, courtesy of goals from Giuliano Simeone and Alex Baena.

The victory marked a significant milestone for Diego Simeone's side, who had been winless on the road this season following their opening loss at Espanyol and subsequent draws at Alaves, Mallorca and Celta Vigo.

It lifted Atletico to fourth in the standings on 19 points, one behind third-placed Villarreal and three adrift of Barcelona in second. Real Madrid sit comfortably at the top with 27 points, while Betis are sixth on 16 points.

Atletico made a bright start on a rainy evening in Seville, opening the scoring in the third minute with a superb low strike on the volley from the coach's 22-year-old son.

Yet despite taking an early lead, Atletico retreated into a more defensive set-up, allowing Betis to dominate possession.

The hosts pushed forward, with Abde Ezzalzouli providing their best moments throughout the match. The winger forced Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak into a stunning one-handed save in the 27th minute.

Atletico had a chance to double their lead on the counter-attack in the 31st minute, but Julian Alvarez's effort from inside the box went just wide after a strong run by Simeone.

However, their counter-attacking strategy paid dividends in added time before the break when Baena capitalised on a swift counter-attack, receiving an Alvarez cross at the far post, cutting inside, and curling home a fine finish into the top corner to make it 2-0.

Betis came out with renewed energy in the second half, piling on the pressure in search of a route back into the contest. Oblak delivered a commanding performance, making a series of crucial saves, with Abde going closest for Betis when his free kick struck the crossbar in the 58th minute.

However, Atletico managed to withstand the pressure and saw out the match to secure a valuable three points.

"Happy for a very important and hard-fought victory," Oblak told Movistar Plus. "We played quite well in the first half. In the second half, we sat back too much and gave them opportunities. Those are three very important points we've earned."