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Atletico Madrid were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against Villarreal at the Metropolitano Stadium on Saturday, dropping crucial points in the La Liga title race. Samuel Lino’s second-half strike salvaged a point for Diego Simeone’s side after Gerard Moreno had given Villarreal the lead with a first-half penalty.
The result leaves Atletico just one point behind league leaders Real Madrid, who face Valladolid later on Saturday. Meanwhile, Barcelona, six points adrift of Atletico, will host Valencia on Sunday as they look to close the gap.
Diego Simeone opted for squad rotation following Atletico’s midweek Champions League comeback win against Bayer Leverkusen. Key players Antoine Griezmann and Rodrigo de Paul started on the bench, leaving Atletico struggling to break down Villarreal’s resolute defence in the first half.
Despite creating opportunities, including a low drive from Julian Alvarez that was saved by Villarreal goalkeeper Luiz Junior, Atletico found themselves behind when Reinildo Mandava brought down Gerard Moreno in the box. The veteran forward calmly converted the penalty, beating Jan Oblak despite the goalkeeper diving the right way.
Atletico responded after the break, and Samuel Lino capitalized on a deflected backheel effort from Angel Correa to level the score in the 58th minute. Simeone introduced Griezmann and De Paul in the second half, and the pair nearly combined for a late winner, but Griezmann’s header went off target.
The draw adds further pressure on Atletico as they aim to recover from last weekend’s shock defeat to Leganes, which ended their 15-match winning streak across all competitions.
For Villarreal, the draw keeps them in fifth place, five points behind Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao, who are battling for the final Champions League spot. The result also underscores their resilience against one of La Liga’s strongest teams.
Atletico’s dropped points offer Real Madrid the chance to extend their lead at the top of the table, while Barcelona will look to narrow the gap with Atletico when they play Valencia.
