Atletico Madrid’s Pablo Barrios scores twice as La Liga side cruises past Seattle Sounders in Club World Cup group stage

A brace from Spain international Pablo Barrios led Atletico Madrid to a 3-1 victory over the Seattle Sounders in FIFA Club World Cup action Thursday evening at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington. The La Liga outfit comfortably defeated the MLS side, with Barrios's brace and another goal from Axel Witsel earning them all three points in Group B action.

Barrios opened the scoring just 11 minutes into the match, giving Atleti an early lead after a dominant first 10 minutes of the contest. More chances arrived, but they couldn't convert, and they went into the break separated by just one goal.

Two minutes into the second half, Witsel found the back of the net after Marcos Llorente ripped a shot on target that was parried away by goalkeeper Stefan Frei, but lifted back into danger, where the Belgium international headed home. Just three minutes after, though, Seattle found life through attacking midfielder Albert Rusnak. The Sounders' Designated Player tapped home after the ball came to his feet after a scramble in the box, and it handed the MLS club a brief spell of life.

Barrios ended that, though. The 22-year-old scored Atleti's third in the 57th minute and put the game to bed.

With the three points, Atleti move into pole position to compete for a knockout round spot on the final day of the Group Stage on Monday when they tango with Botafogo. With the result, the Sounders face elimination from the competition, and could have their fate sealed as soon as Thursday night. If PSG win or secure a draw against Botafogo, the Western Conference MLS side will have no chance of advancing into the knockout stage of the tournament.

Thursday's defeat marked the Sounders' first four-game losing streak (across all competitions) since the 2019 MLS season.

Pablo Barrios: The Spain international was remarkable all evening long, scoring two goals as he secured his first career brace while leading Atleti to an important three points. He put his versatility on full display all evening, testing the Seattle defense throughout the game. A well-rounded showing highlighted by his killer instinct in front of net.

The Sounders' defense: Seattle was caught out on two of the three goals, failing to mark Atletico's attackers in the box. Simple defensive errors ultimately separated the two on the night, though goalkeeper Stefan Frei did make a few important saves.

Atletico take on Botafogo on Monday, while the Sounders clash with PSG in the Group Stage finale of Group B.