MADRID: Needing a win to stay in control of La Liga, Atletico Madrid stumbled again on Sunday with a 2-1 loss to Athletic Bilbao, giving Barcelona a chance to take over the lead.
Not even the return of Luis Suarez and Joao Felix was enough for Diego Simeone’s team, who could drop to second on Thursday when Barca play eighth-placed Granada at home.
Barca put pressure on Atletico by coming from behind to win 2-1 at Villarreal earlier on Sunday, getting within two points of the lead with a game in hand. Antoine Griezmann scored both goals for the Catalan club.
“We did all we could,” Atletico captain Koke said. “We will keep fighting until the end. We have five matches left and we know that we can win them.”
Defending champions Real Madrid’s 0-0 draw with Real Betis on Saturday gave Atletico the chance to pull further clear but instead they ended the weekend with their lead reduced, a loss at San Mames the latest twist in Europe’s most unpredictable domestic chase.
Real also remain in contention. They are in second place, level on points with Barca and two behind Atletico.
Sevilla have largely been overlooked as possible champions in Spain but they are right in the mix as well now after a 2-1 win over Granada puts them just three points off the top and one behind Real.
Yet Barca were the biggest winners, with Ronald Koeman’s team able to go top of the table, even if Atletico might have a way back given they are still to play at Camp Nou on May 8. Real host Sevilla a day later.
“There are four of us in that race and now emotionally, those who have the mental strength will be closer to winning,” said Simeone. “We still know that we depend on ourselves.”
Atletico have first place, for now at least, but they might be the least convincing of all the contenders.
Losing to Bilbao means they have won only six of their last 14 league games, with the momentum gained from consecutive wins over Eibar and Huesca proving short-lived.
The way some of Simeone’s players dropped to their knees at the final whistle suggested this result, psychologically, could be difficult to recover from.
Alex Berengeur had already nodded in Ander Capa’s cross in the eighth minute and Athletic should have doubled their advantage in the second half but Oihan Sancet fired over.
Suarez, Felix and Thomas Lemar all came on and Atletico grabbed a lifeline when Stefan Savic’s flicked header found its way inside the back post with 13 minutes left.
Simeone pumped his fists, urging his players to seek a winner, but instead there was a sucker-punch from Bilbao, Inigo Martinez darting free in the box and powering a superb header past Jan Oblak with four minutes remaining.
Barcelona are surely now favourites to add a La Liga title to the Copa del Rey they won earlier this month.
Villarreal struck first through Samuel Chukwueze but Griezmann equalised with a sumptuous lob before capitalising on a misplaced backpass to make it two.
Helped by a red card for Villarreal’s Manu Trigueros shortly after the hour, Barcelona held on for a crucial win.
“The players are hungry to win another trophy,” said Koeman. “The league is closer, I don’t know how much closer, but it is. We are on a good run and if we win the six games left, we will be champions.”
Griezmann started on the bench for the defeat by Real but has been recalled for the last three games in a row, repaying the faith with a goal now in each.
It remains to be seen whether Barca see the 30-year-old as a chance to raise funds in the summer, and also whether the offers are there, but Griezmann now has 23 goals this season, and 15 since the turn of the year.
Villarreal, who host Arsenal in the first leg of the Europa League semi-finals on Thursday, have lost three of tjeor last four league matches.
Sevilla, meanwhile, pushed their case for the title and guaranteed their place in the top four but their win over Granada will be remembered for the bizarre way it ended.
Both teams were made to come back out and play another minute after referee Ricardo de Burgos admitted he blew too early for full-time.
Sevilla’s players had already left and some of them had started to take their kit off, with midfielder Fernando pictured without his shirt on in the stands, shaking his head in disbelief. Marcos Acuna had to put his boots, socks and shinpads back on.
Enes Unal scored a goal in each half as Getafe won 2-0 at Huesca in a match between relegation-threatened teams.
The result ended Getafe’s seven-match winless streak. The Madrid club moved to 15th in the standings, five points from the relegation zone.
Huesca stayed second-to-last, three points from safety.
In a match between mid-table teams, Celta Vigo beat Osasuna 2-1 with goals from Iago Aspas and Jeison Murillo.
Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2021