Atletico Madrid ended its La Liga campaign with a 2-0 win at Real Sociedad on Saturday thanks to a first-half strike by Brazilian winger Samuel Lino and a Reinildo Mandava tap-in in stoppage time.
Atletico, who had already secured fourth place and a spot in next season’s Champions League, finished the season on 76 points, 11 ahead Athletic Bilbao in fifth.
Sixth-placed Real Sociedad has qualified for the Europa League.
Runaway champion Real Madrid is top of the standings with 94 points, 12 points ahead of second-placed Barcelona and 13 clear of Girona in third.
Atletico took the lead in the ninth minute after Marcos Llorente burst up the right wing and delivered a low cross to Lino at the far post, who netted with a tidy finish past Alex Remiro.
ALSO READ | Xabi Alonso and Leverkusen put Europa League loss behind, focus on completing domestic double
Remiro and Atletico’s keeper Jan Oblak made several saves and Atletico was reduced to 10 men after Saul Niguez was shown a second yellow card in the 92nd minute.
In the last move of the match, Atletico secured the three points on a counterattack led by Alvaro Morata, who delivered a perfectly placed cross for substitute Reinildo to tap into the empty net.
Win is a big boost
Samuel Lino said that finishing the season with a good win at Real Sociedad should be a boost for Atletico Madrid going forward. “We were good, focused, played a good game and that’s what we wanted. Overall, we were not within the club’s objectives, but we finished well and now we have to switch off and a win away from home could help to come back strong next season,” Lino said.
“It was an important victory to finish the season well,” Lino added.