Atletico Madrid 3-0 Valencia

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Atletico Madrid forward Diego Costa celebrates scoring against ValenciaImage source, Getty Images

Diego Costa scored two goals as Atletico Madrid went level with Barcelona at the top of La Liga after a comfortable win against Valencia.

The 25-year-old opened the scoring after an uneventful first half with a quality low finish after cutting into the Valencia penalty area.

Substitute Raul Garcia doubled the lead with an angled strike from seven yards before Costa missed a penalty.

But he made amends by scoring from the spot after being fouled again.

Costa now has 21 goals this season and he once again propelled Atletico to a deserved victory which sent them five points clear of neighbours Real Madrid.

More importantly they are on 43 points - the same number as Barcelona, who they entertain on 21 January.

Atletico, who last won La Liga in 1995-96, have now kept three successive clean sheets in La Liga.

Valencia are ninth in the table after a fifth defeat in eight games for Miroslav Dukic's side.

They were not helped by some poor defending which saw Victor Ruiz and Antonio Barragan concede needless penalties.

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