Atlético Madrid lost points for the second time in the first five days in LaLiga on Saturday. Diego Simeone’s team got no further than a goalless draw against Athletic Club, although they had to continue with ten men in the last fifteen minutes after a red card for Joao Félix. The reigning national champion spends the night with eleven points from five matches as the leader of LaLiga, but can be overtaken by fellow townspeople Real Madrid, Valencia or Real Sociedad on Sunday.
The first half was anything but a spectacle. A slow pace meant that the game barely got going in the Wanda Metropolitano. Atlético, again playing with three central defenders, only created danger through Ángel Correa and the connection between Kieran Trippier and Marcos LLorente, while the visitors from Bilbao seemed to have no faith in a better result. Antoine Griezmann got no further than an opportunity in the opening minute.
João Félix loses the head ?? The Portuguese does not know how to hold back against the referee and gets the red print ??#ZiggoSport #LaLiga #AtletiAthletic pic.twitter.com/k2awY6u6iZ
— Ziggo Sport Football (@ZS_Voetbal) September 18, 2021
The opening phase of the second half was a success: a header by Correa went just wide and a bet by Iñaki Williams narrowly missed Jan Oblak’s goal. Fifteen minutes before the end, keeper Unai Simón prevented a shot from Llorente through the post that meant the 1-0. Two minutes later, Atlético was left with ten men when Joao Félix’s hand came in Unai Vencedor’s face and he protested violently about his yellow card. Jesús Gil Manzano showed the Portuguese his second print twenty seconds later. Despite the surplus situation, the Basques were unable to take advantage.
A tweet from MisterChip, which has more than three million followers, went viral. “You say to the only referee who sent Casemiro, Neymar, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez off the field that he is crazy and you point at him three times?” sighed the Spanish journalist. “It is never crazy to study in advance which umpire you will be dealing with. That way you can avoid a surprise.”
| No. | Team | m | W | G | V | +/- | Pnt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atletico Madrid | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 11 |
| 2 | Real Madrid | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| 3 | Valencia | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| 4 | Athletic Club | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 |
| 5 | Real Sociedad | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 9 |
| 6 | Seville | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 7 |
| 7 | Rayo Vallecano | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| 8 | Barcelona | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 |
| 9 | Real Majorca | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| 10 | Real Betis | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 11 | Elche | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 12 | Cadiz | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -2 | 5 |
| 13 | Osasuna | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | -2 | 5 |
| 14 | Villarreal | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 15 | Levante | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | -1 | 3 |
| 16 | Espanyol | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | -2 | 2 |
| 17 | Granada | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | -5 | 2 |
| 18 | Celta de Vigo | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | -6 | 1 |
| 19 | Alaves | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -7 | 0 |
| 20 | getafe | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | -7 | 0 |