As Atletico Madrid closes out the season with a decisive victory over Girona, Alexander Sørloth ignites a late surge. Alexander Sørloth, who came off the bench with a point to make, brightened an otherwise dull match by scoring a hat-trick in the second half, giving Atletico Madrid a decisive 4-0 victory over struggling Girona on Sunday.

The game at a poorly attended Montilivi generated little excitement because Barcelona had already secured the league title and there wasn't much left to lose—until Sørloth turned things around. An otherwise dull season finale was given some late flair by the Norwegian forward's exquisite finishing after two injury-plagued teams plodded through a drab first half.

Several regulars, including goalkeeper Jan Oblak, who finished the season with just 30 goals allowed in 36 games, were benched as Diego Simeone decided to rotate his team for the season finale. Interestingly, it's the fifth time in his career that he's recorded the greatest goals-per-game ratio in the league.

Even though Atletico had possession for extended periods of time, they had trouble turning power into threat. The breakthrough didn't come until the 68th minute, though. Girona made a crucial mistake that allowed Rodrigo De Paul to calmly square the ball, which Alexander Sørloth then slotted in from close range, taking advantage of the defensive lapse.

As Girona made a forlorn attempt to advance, Sørloth scored twice on the counter in stoppage time, completing his hat-trick and capping a lopsided season that had little left to offer. In the 87th minute, Clement Lenglet sprang highest to nod in a rebound.

Barcelona, which will host Athletic Bilbao later on Sunday, leads the table with 85 points as the La Liga season approaches its culmination. They are only one point ahead of rivals Real Madrid. After concluding their campaign earlier, Atletico Madrid finishes third with 76 points, capping a stable but unimpressive season.

Athletic Bilbao and Villarreal complete the top five, joining the three in the Champions League the following season. Now that European spots are guaranteed and only the title is up for debate, all eyes will be on Camp Nou for a last twist in an exciting campaign.

"We played a good game, which will be useful for the Club World Cup in the US that starts in less than an month because we will play many afternoon games under this same heat. Sorloth is a machine and he doesn't need many chances to score," Atletico defender Axel Witsel told Movistar Plus.

Girona had a much rougher journey this season after making headlines as La Liga's unexpected overachievers the previous season. They just managed 41 points, one point above the relegation zone, and staggered to a 16th-place finish. It was a close call, but they made it.

When the 32-team tournament begins next month, Atletico Madrid will have a difficult road ahead of them. They have been assigned to a tough Group B that includes MLS rivals Seattle Sounders, South American champions Botafogo, and Champions League finalists Paris Saint-Germain. This is a dangerous and varied group that does not appear to have an easy way to advance.

Stick with https://k8airdrop.com/ for more Sports, esport, games, news, guides, and more!

Discover the thrill of cutting-edge online slot games! Visit  http://k8.io/ now for an unparalle