Atletico Madrid missed the chance to reclaim top spot in LaLiga after being held to a 1-1 draw against Villarreal at the Metropolitano Stadium on Saturday.
Samuel Lino salvaged a point for Diego Simeone’s side in the second half after Gerard Moreno had given Villarreal the lead from the penalty spot in the first half.
This result sees Atletico lose more ground in the title race, with Real Madrid now leading the standings on 46 points, while Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao are also closing in behind them.
⚽ Match Summary
- ⚽ 29′ | Gerard Moreno (Villarreal) – Penalty
- Moreno won and converted a penalty after being fouled inside the box, calmly placing his shot past Jan Oblak.
- ⚽ 58′ | Samuel Lino (Atletico Madrid)
- Atletico equalized when Lino tapped in from close range, following a goalkeeping error after Angel Correa’s initial shot was parried.
Atletico controlled the majority of possession and had several chances to snatch a winner, but Villarreal’s defense held firm to frustrate the hosts.
📊 Key Stats & Data Debrief
🔹 Atletico Madrid had eight shots on target, compared to Villarreal’s only one—which was their goal.
🔹 Gerard Moreno becomes the fifth player this century to score in three consecutive away league games against Atletico, joining Ronaldo, Samuel Eto’o, Gonzalo Higuain, and Lionel Messi.
🔹 Villarreal have collected points in eight of their last 11 away games against Atletico Madrid, a massive improvement from losing eight of their previous 12 visits to the capital.
🔹 Atletico’s 15-match winning run across all competitions has now been followed by two winless games in LaLiga, costing them the top spot in the league.
🏆 What This Means
🔼 Real Madrid now lead LaLiga with 46 points and could extend their advantage if they beat Valladolid later in the evening.
🔽 Atletico Madrid drop to second place, while Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao (both 39 points) are closing in.
⚠️ Villarreal move up to fifth place with 34 points, staying in contention for a European spot.
🔮 What’s Next?
- Atletico Madrid must bounce back quickly when they face Getafe next weekend.
- Villarreal will look to build on this result against Celta Vigo in their next LaLiga fixture.
🔥 Final Verdict: Atletico paid the price for missed chances, while Villarreal showed resilience to earn a crucial point. The LaLiga title race remains wide open!
