Atletico Madrid record 10th straight victory by beating Slovan Bratislava

Atletico Madrid stayed in the hunt for automatic qualification for the Champions League last 16 by dispatching Slovan Bratislava 3-1.

Diego Simeone’s team extended their winning run to 10 matches in all competitions, which includes three successive victories in Europe.

Julian Alvarez and Antoine Griezmann were paired in attack and the duo supplied both of the goals scored in the first half.

Former Manchester City forward Alvarez was first off the mark when he took Samuel Lino’s pass on the edge of the area, steadied himself with a delicate touch and then curled an unstoppable shot into the top right corner.

Tigran Barseghyan hit the crossbar but otherwise Atletico dominated the half with Griezmann adding the second in the 42nd minute when he nodded home Marcos Llorente’s cross.

Slovan, who remain pointless in the competition, were thrown a lifeline when David Strelec was brought down by Clement Lenglet and following a check with VAR a penalty was awarded, with Strelec hitting the target.

Any prospect of a fightback faded quickly, however, after Griezmann notched his second in the 57th minute with an opportunist strike following an error in the visitors’ defence.

It was the France forward’s second double in four days after he also hit two past Sevilla – including the stoppage-time winner – in Sunday’s 4-3 LaLiga victory.

Atletico continued to control the game but they could not convert their possession into another goal and even saw Slovan’s Siemen Voet have an effort deflected on to the post in the closing stages.