Strikers Joao Felix, Luis Suarez and Angel Correa, were on target to lift Diego Simeone’s side to fourth spot with 42 points from 25 games.

They are 12 points adrift of leaders Real Madrid and three ahead of Barcelona, who will have a game in hand following their match against Athletic Club on Sunday.

“A great effort from everyone,” Simeone said postmatch.

“The team showed huge commitment. We were lucky to score early.

“They’re a very difficult team. We were lucky in the first half that their chance that hit the woodwork didn’t level the game.

“In the second half, our clinical counter-attacks gave us the possibility to win the game, at a difficult ground.”

The goal would have come as a huge relief to Felix as he had been struggling to gain Simeone’s trust and was making only his third start in Atletico’s last 15 league matches.

He rifled in a rebound from a corner in the third minute and after the break assisted Suarez, who scored the second when he lobbed rival goalkeeper Sergio Herrera from 40 yards.

Correa completed the rout with a lightning fast last-minute counter attack.

Felix said: “Yes I’m happy, we’re all happy. We played a bad game the other day as we all know but you get games like that.

“We knew how to turn the situation around, the dressing room is united. We’re all together, looking for our objective. We’re improving and we have to carry on like that.”

Manchester United are next up for Atletico in the Champions League knockout stages.

“We’ll rest now, we’ve had some tough games in a row, we have four days now to prepare the Manchester [United] game and we’ll do it with a lot of responsibility,” Simeone said.

Source: Reuters/NAN

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Suarez has now scored 14 goals in 16 games.

Last season, Atletico Madrid’s top goalscorer Alvaro Morata only managed 12 in 34 matches.

Suarez got the first goal in the 28th minute when he curled a free-kick over the wall from the edge of the area.

Atletico Madrid’s lead was short-lived as Alvaro Negredo scored the equaliser seven minutes later with a curling shot from just inside the area.

A minute before half-time, Saul Niguez flicked in a Thomas Lemar cross-shot past Jeremias Ledesma to make it 2-1.

Referee Jesus Gil then gave Cadiz a penalty kick after Koke’s handball in injury time of the first half.

Gil over-ruled his decision after reviewing the incident, deciding the ball had struck Koke’s arm as he used it to break his fall.

Suarez scored his second from the penalty kick spot five minutes into the second half after Marcos Mauro had bundled over Lemar.

Negredo got his second in the 71st minute after Jose Gimenez failed to clear.

Jan Oblak had to save at close range from Atletico Madrid loanee Ivan Saponjic as Cadiz pushed for the equaliser.

But Koke scored from Angel Correa’s assist in the 88th minute and Atletico Madrid held on to go 10 points clear of second-placed Real Madrid.

FC Barcelona can take over Real Madrid’s position on goal difference if they beat Athletic Bilbao later Sunday.

Source: dpa/NAN

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The Catalans’ third top goalscorer of all time was told he was not wanted by new FC Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman and has been looking for a new club.

The 33-year-old player who has one year to run on his FC Barcelona contract, agreed a deal with the club to cut it short, the reports said.

A newspaper, Mundo Deportivo, said Suarez had fixed a contract with Atletico Madrid for two seasons, although the club will need to lighten their wage bill to accommodate the Uruguayan.

Media reports in Italy also say Juventus are in talks with Atletico Madrid to re-sign Spain striker Alvaro Morata.

Suarez had been heavily linked with Juventus, but coach Andrea Pirlo said it was unlikely he would come to Italy because of the difficulty in obtaining an EU passport.

The striker finished as Barca’s second-highest scorer last season behind captain Lionel Messi and scored 198 goals in 283 games for Barca, after joining in 2014 from Liverpool.

Source: Reuters/NAN

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The slim win also condemned their neighbours to relegation from the top flight.

Luis Suarez struck the only goal in the 56th minute, lashing a loose ball into the net.

This was shortly after both sides had been reduced to 10 men each in a frantic start to the second half.

Barca’s teenage forward Ansu Fati was sent off for a reckless tackle five minutes after coming off the bench.

But Espanyol’s numerical advantage lasted only three minutes as Pol Lozano was dismissed, also following a VAR review.

Barca, chasing a third consecutive Spanish title, are on 76 points after 35 games while Real Madrid are top with 77.

The leaders can restore their four-point advantage when they host Alaves on Friday.

Espanyol, one of Spain’s most prestigious clubs, were relegated for the first time since winning promotion back to La Liga in 1994.

They are bottom of the table on 24 points after 35 games.

Barca had produced one of their best performances of the season by hammering Villarreal 4-1 away on Sunday.

But they looked sluggish at an empty Camp Nou, which normally would have been in full voice on derby day.

Espanyol frustrated their more illustrious neighbours in the first half with a five-man defence and created the better chances.

Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen had to be aware to prevent his team mate Clement Lenglet from scoring an own goal just before half-time.

Espanyol’s Didac Vila fired the loose ball against the post.

Ter Stegen had also come to Barca’s rescue earlier, spreading his body and keeping out a low strike from Adri Embarba with his leg.

Barca found a way through with the help of their three forwards.

Antoine Griezmann raced to the byline and passed to Lionel Messi whose shot deflected into the path of Suarez and the Uruguayan made no mistake.

Source: Reuters/NAN

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