Deportivo Alavés vs Atlético Madrid

Atletico Madrid ground out a hard-fought 2-1 win away at Alaves, needing a late header from Cristian Romero to settle a match that turned on a pivotal red card. Vitoria-Gasteiz saw Atletico dominate for long stretches, but the hosts refused to fold until the very end. Alejandro Grimaldo put the visitors ahead in the 33rd minute, finishing off a pass from Jonathan David. Alaves responded right before the break when Lucas Boyé converted a penalty in first-half stoppage time to level things at 1-1. The game swung again in the 61st minute when Ángel Pérez was sent off after a VAR review upgraded his yellow to a red for a foul on Julián Álvarez. With a man advantage, Atletico pressed and finally broke through in the 87th minute, as Romero headed home a cross from Alex Baena to seal it. The win keeps Atletico Madrid firmly in the title conversation and underlines their knack for finding late goals against stubborn opposition. For Alaves, there's pride in matching their heavyweight opponents for long periods, but the red card and a missed chance to hold on for a point will sting.