La Liga round-up: Youthful Atletico Madrid prepare for Arsenal showdown with Mestalla win

Valencia looking down as Atletico Madrid claim Mestalla win

Valencia 0-2 Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid set themselves up for the second leg of their Champions League semi-final tie against Arsenal, which is finely poised at 1-1, with an impressive win over Valencia. Diego Simeone made a number of changes to his side because of the impending trip to London, and it was two young debutants that made the difference. Iker Luque and Miguel “Cubo” Llorente were both introduced on the hour mark, and on 74 and 82 minutes respectively, they scored to seal a victory that has Los Colchoneros on the verge of finalising a top 4 finish.

Nico Williams inspires Athletic Club to Basque derby victory

Alaves 2-4 Athletic Club

Alaves played out yet another high-scoring clash on Saturday, but on this occasion, they were on the receiving end as Athletic Club won a six-goal thriller at Mendizorroza. Antonio Blanco gave the hosts a dream start on eight minutes, but that was cancelled out by Robert Navarro’s strike just after half time. Nahuel Tenaglia would make it 201, but three unanswered goals from Oihan Sancet and Nico Williams (x2) ensured a much-needed success for Los Leones, who are aiming to secure European qualification for next season.