Atletico Madrid defeated Rayo Vallecano 3-0 in the Metropolitano on Thursday night, solidifying their position as the third-place team in La Liga. It was a timely, clinical, and serene statement win.

Diego Simeone's team replied with conviction, although still being upset by a tight 1-0 loss to Las Palmas that virtually ended their waning title aspirations. They now have 66 points after the victory, six points ahead of Athletic Club, who are currently in fourth place in the race to qualify for the Champions League.

It was an early breakthrough. Just three minutes into the encounter, Alexander Sørloth sprang at the far post to nod in a precise pass from Giuliano Simeone, setting the tone for what would become a dominant display.

"It was a pretty entertaining match with attacking play and dangerous chances for both teams, which I'm sure we could have handled better," coach Simeone told, "In the second half, the team played with more order. The play that led to the third goal was exquisite."

Five minutes later, the Norwegian forward broke free for a one-on-one match with Augusto Batalla and came very close to scoring a brace. At full stretch, however, the Rayo goalie stood tall and spread wide to deny him with a crisp save.

Atlético scored once more as the first half came to an end. Just before halftime, Conor Gallagher soared above the crowd to look in at a superbly weighted cross from Rodrigo De Paul, doubling the lead.

After the break, Rayo Vallecano emerged with a newfound sense of purpose and continued to press ahead in pursuit of a lifeline. The woodwork and a fast-thinking Jan Oblak worked together to keep the visitors off the scoreboard, despite Isi Palazón's header toward the top corner after he climbed above his marker.

After a smooth offensive move, Julian Álvarez sealed the victory in the 77th minute. When Antoine Griezmann was brought on as a substitute, he immediately made an impression by threading a crisp pass through the lines to the Argentine, who coolly and collectedly tucked his finish beyond Batalla.

Rayo Vallecano's momentum is halted with the defeat. They are still five points behind and running out of time, but they are still in the running for a European spot with 41 points, which puts them in 11th place in the table.

"I am happy on a personal level. I try to improve every day. I don't look at statistics," said striker Alvarez, scoring 27 goals this season across all competitions.. "We have to keep working... We know it's not easy (to win the league) we're a long way behind in the standings. We're focusing on ourselves."

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