Atlético earns Champions League spot for 10th straight year
By TALES AZZONI
AP Sports Writer
MADRID (AP) — Atlético Madrid has secured a Champions League spot for the 10th straight season after defeating Elche 2-0 in the Spanish league. The victory moved Diego Simeone’s team into third place ahead of Sevilla. Sevilla earlier missed its own chance to guarantee a berth in Europe’s top club competition next season after a home draw against relegation-threatened Mallorca. Matheus Cunha and Rodrigo De Paul scored a goal in each half to leave Atlético six points in front of fifth-place Real Betis with two rounds to go. Betis can’t surpass Atlético for the final qualification spot because it loses on the head-to-head tiebreaker.