Julián Alvarez scores hat trick to give Atletico Madrid a 3-2 win over Rayo Vallecano

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MADRID (AP) — Julián Alvarez scored a late winner to complete a hat trick and lead Atletico Madrid to a 3-2 victory over Rayo Vallecano in the Spanish league on Wednesday.

It was only a second league win for Atletico, which entered the match enduring one of its worst starts to a season since coach Diego Simeone took over in late 2011.

Alvarez scored the winning goal in the 88th minute with a left-foot shot from outside the area that hit the top corner.

“He is extraordinary, our best player,” Simeone said. “We need him at his best.”

The Argentina international had put the hosts ahead in the 15th and added the second in the 80th.

“We needed to win to gain some confidence,” Alvarez said. “We had been playing well but the results weren't coming because of details. We need to keep working to try to keep winning.”

The victory came ahead of a city derby against league leader Real Madrid on Saturday.

“It will be a fantastic game, against a rival that has been playing well,” Simeone said. “It’s going to be a tough opponent.”

Alvarez missed a penalty kick in Atletico's 1-1 draw at Mallorca last weekend. He hadn't scored since the team's 2-1 loss at Espanyol in the Spanish league opener.

“It's part of soccer,” he said. “Sometimes you make mistakes and sometimes you score the goals. Today I did things well. We are on the right track.”

It was the first hat trick for Alvarez since he moved to Europe in 2022 to join Manchester City from River Plate. This is his second season with Atletico.

Atletico is nine points behind Madrid, which on Tuesday won 4-1 at Levante with a pair of goals by Kylian Mbappé to maintain a perfect start to the season after six matches.

Atletico’s only win so far had been 2-0 against Villarreal. It had also drawn 1-1 against both Elche and Alaves after opening with the loss at Espanyol. It lost 3-2 at Liverpool in its Champions League opener.

“What's wonderful about soccer is this, you are in a very complicated moment and then you come out and win,” Simeone said.

Rayo, winless in three matches after starting the season with three victories in four games, had rallied with goals by Pep Chavarría in first-half stoppage time and Álvaro García in the 77th.

Atletico nearly retook the lead when Giuliano Simeone — the coach's son — hit the crossbar from close range in the 82nd, with his father dropping to his knees in desolation after seeing the ball come off the woodwork at the Metropolitano stadium.

Real Sociedad welcomed Mallorca in a match between winless teams and ended a three-game losing streak with a 1-0 home victory after Mikel Oyarzabal scored in the 49th. The Basque Country club had drawn its first two matches.

It was the fourth loss for Mallorca, which also drew twice.

Earlier, Getafe was held by Alaves to a 1-1 home draw. The host, which won three of its first four games, opened the scoring through Mauro Arambarri in the 63rd. Alaves, which was seeking its third win, equalized in the 71st.

Defending champion Barcelona visits Oviedo on Thursday.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer