MADRID (Reuters) -Sustained pressure paid off for Atletico Madrid as manager Diego Simeone's son Giuliano netted his first goal for Atletico Madrid and Alexander Sorloth also scored to secure a 2-0 win over Las Palmas in LaLiga on Sunday.
Atletico, third in the table with 23 points from 12 matches, have played one match less than second-placed Real Madrid, whose match at Valencia this weekend was postponed after deadly flooding in the eastern region.
"I'm very happy for my first official goal for Atletico Madrid but I also want to mention everything that's going on in Valencia. For the victims, I send all my strength and support," Giuliano Simeone said.
Nahuel Molina's 37th-minute long ball up the right flank helped Simeone beat the visitors' high defensive line and the 21-year-old sprinted towards the six-yard box and finished with his right foot past keeper Jasper Cillessen's outstretched leg.
Antoine Griezmann almost doubled Atletico's lead seconds before the break, but his left-footed effort from a Pablo Barrios cross came off the crossbar.
Things got worse for Las Palmas early in the second half as Cillessen had to leave the field after getting injured while diving to block Molina's shot.
The hosts, who had 15 shots in the match while 18th-placed Las Palmas had one, doubled their lead in the 83rd minute from Sorloth's calm left-footed finish following Rodrigo De Paul's defence-splitting through ball.
Atletico continue their league campaign at Mallorca next Sunday, after Wednesday's Champions League clash at Paris St Germain.
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
