Julian Alvarez (24) and Angel Correa (29) scored a brace as Atlético Madrid thrashed AC Sparta Prague 6-0 in what was the Spanish outfit’s third win (L2) in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League (UCL), while a sixth consecutive victory in all competitions marks Atleti’s best run since October 2023.
Sparta – with four points to their name in the competition this season coming into this match – registered a shot on target in the first minute. However, that was as good as it got for them in the first half as Atleti took the lead spectacularly on 15 minutes.
Alvarez was fouled just outside the box by Tomas Wiesner, with the former Manchester City forward stepping up to curl a fabulous free-kick over the wall and into Peter Vindahl Jensen’s right-hand corner.
Wiesner soon made a timely intervention to prevent Alvarez from doubling his tally for the evening, but Atleti were in complete command by this point, while Sparta’s troubles were compounded as a tearful Lukáš Haraslín was forced off through injury.
It should have been 2-0 in the 37th minute as Alvarez seized on a loose crossfield pass and sped upfield before squaring for Alexander Sorloth, who fashioned space for a shot but was denied excellently by Vindahl Jensen.
The second goal did eventually arrive before half-time when, after Atleti had retrieved possession following a corner, Llorente’s cross seemingly looking to find Sørloth went straight in, with Sorloth cleverly avoiding making contact with the ball to allow it to drift in.
Sparta desperately needed to show more quality after the break if they were to have any hope of getting something from the game. However, just moments after Antoine Griezmann had entered the field in place of Sorloth, his backheel set Alvarez on a surging run, allowing him to play a one-two with Giuliano Simeone before slotting home coolly past the advancing Vindahl Jensen.
With the contest as good as over, Griezmann got in on the act from 15 yards on 70 minutes before Koke entered the field late on for his 100th UCL appearance as fellow substitutes Correa and Samuel Lino combined to make it five.
Correa then punished more diabolical Sparta defending in the 89th minute to round off the scoring.
Alarmingly, Sparta have now won just two of their last 12 matches (D3, L7) in all competitions as they look to get their flagging domestic title challenge back on track on Saturday at FK Dukla Prague.
Meanwhile, Atleti will fancy their chances of making it seven successive victories on the same day as they travel to bottom-of-the-table Real Valladolid in LaLiga.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid)
See a summary of the match here
