MADRID: Atletico Madrid on Saturday completed a good four days as they followed their Champions League quarter-final first-leg victory over Borussia Dortmund with a 3-1 Spanish La Liga victory over third-placed Girona.
Antoine Griezmann scored twice as Diego Simeone’s men moved to within four points of their opponents and pulled five clear of fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao in the race for Champions League qualification.
The Basques play Villarreal on Sunday.
Atletico won the home leg of their European tie 2-1 on Wednesday and visit Dortmund for the second leg on Tuesday.
Girona took the lead in Madrid with a fourth-minute goal from close range by Artem Dovbyk that took him on to a league-leading 17 goals.
Griezmann responded by converting a 34th-minute penalty.
Angel Correa then gave the home side the lead six minutes into added time at the end of the first half.
Griezmann extended his lead five minutes into the second half, taking advantage of a defensive error to fire home his 13th league goal of the season.
With an eye on the game in Germany, the France attacker was then replaced shortly after the hour mark by Marcos Llorente.
Girona’s fifth defeat away from home, gives Barcelona, buoyed by their midweek 3-2 Champions League win at Paris Saint-Germain, the chance to tighten their grip on second when they visit struggling Cadiz in the last game of the day.
Real Madrid, eight points clear at the top, play at Mallorca later on Saturday.
Griezmann strikes twice as Atletico sink Girona
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Griezmann strikes twice as Atletico sink Girona
- Girona took the lead in Madrid with a fourth-minute goal from close range by Artem Dovbyk that took him on to a league-leading 17 goals.
- Griezmann responded by converting a 34th-minute penalty
Morocco include injured captain Hakimi in AFCON squad
- Regragui said: “We hope he (Hakimi) will be available for our first match against the Comoros“
- Hosts Morocco face the Comorans on Dec. 21 in Rabat
JOHANNESBURG: Morocco included injured captain Achraf Hakimi in a 26-man squad named on Thursday for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The 27-year-old full-back sprained his ankle after being fouled playing for Paris Saint-Germain against Bayern Munich last month in the UEFA Champions League.
Speaking after the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington last Friday, head coach Walid Regragui said: “We hope he (Hakimi) will be available for our first match against the Comoros.”
Hosts Morocco face the Comorans on December 21 in Rabat in the opening match of the biennial African football showpiece.
Referring to recently crowned 2025 African player of the year Hakimi, Regragui added: “He is doing better. He is improving. He wants to be here (Morocco). He is our leader, our captain.”
Morocco are in Group A with the Comoros, Mali and Zambia. Group winners and runners-up qualify automatically for the knockout phase, along with the best four of the six third-placed teams.
Other Atlas Lions stars, including goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, Manchester United full-back Noussair Mazraoui, midfielder Sofyan Amrabat and striker Youssef En-Nesyri, have been selected.
Morocco are seeking to win the AFCON a second time. They drew with Guinea in 1976 in Ethiopia to finish first in a tournament consisting only of mini-leagues.
Only three of the 13 AFCON hosts this century — Tunisia, Egypt and the Ivory Coast — have been crowned champions.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal/KSA), Munir El Kajoui (Renaissance Berkane), El Mehdi Al Harrar (Raja Casablanca)
Defenders: Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA, capt), Mohamed Chibi (Pyramids/EGY), Jawad El Yamiq (Al-Najma/KSA), Romain Saiss (Al Sadd/QAT), Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal (Rennes/FRA), Nayef Aguerd (Marseille/FRA), Adam Masina (Torino/ITA), Noussair Mazraoui (Manchester Utd/ENG), Anass Salah-Eddine (PSV Eindhoven/NED)
Midfielders: Oussama Targhalline (Feyenoord/NED), Sofyan Amrabat (Real Betis/ESP), Ismael Saibari (PSV Eindhoven/NED), Neil El Aynaoui (Roma/ITA), Bilal El Khannouss (Stuttgart/GER), Azzedine Ounahi (Girona/ESP)
Forwards: Brahim Diaz (Real Madrid/ESP), Ilias Akhomach (Villarreal/ESP), Chemsdine Talbi (Sunderland/ENG), Youssef En-Nesyri (Fenerbahce/TUR), Ayoub El Kaabi (Olympiacos/GRE), Soufiane Rahimi (Al Ain/UAE), Abdessamad Ezzalzouli (Real Betis/ESP), Eliesse Ben Seghir (Bayer Leverkusen/GER)
Standby: Youssef Belammari (Raja), Hamza Igamane (Lille/FRA)
