Espanyol 1-1 Atletico Madrid: Atleti drop crucial points in LaLiga title race with Espanyol draw

Atletico Madrid's LaLiga title ambitions took a hit as they were held to a 1-1 draw against relegation-threatened Espanyol on Saturday. Cesar Azpilicueta’s first-half goal was canceled out by Espanyol captain Javi Puado, extending Atletico’s winless run in the league to three matches.

The result leaves third-placed Atletico six points behind leaders Barcelona, who have a game in hand. Meanwhile, Espanyol climbed to 15th, moving two points clear of the relegation zone.

"Two important points have slipped away. It's a strange moment, a difficult moment that we're not able to win," Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak admitted. "We are not having the necessary consistency to be able to fight for LaLiga."

Antoine Griezmann thought he had given Atletico an early lead just three minutes in, but his goal was ruled out for offside. However, the Frenchman made an impact in the 38th minute, delivering the cross that led to the visitors’ breakthrough. Marash Kumbulla’s attempted clearance landed at Azpilicueta’s feet outside the box, and the defender calmly placed a right-footed shot past Joan Garcia to open the scoring.

"It turned out okay," said Azpilicueta, who last found the net in 2022. "Well, that's a lot of LaLiga matches without scoring."

Atletico nearly doubled their lead moments later when another misplaced clearance from Kumbulla set up Conor Gallagher, but the English midfielder failed to capitalize, sending his shot wide.

Despite enjoying just 39% possession, Espanyol remained in the contest, and the Stage Front Stadium erupted in the 71st minute when Clement Lenglet brought down Leandro Cabrera near the edge of the box. Puado stepped up and converted the penalty to level the score.

"We were in the game and we knew we would have a chance. They had the ball but they didn't hurt us. I'm very happy with the draw," Puado told Movistar after scoring his ninth LaLiga goal of the season.

Atletico will now turn their attention to the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg against Barcelona on Wednesday, following a thrilling 4-4 draw in the first leg. Espanyol, meanwhile, travel to face Rayo Vallecano on Friday.

SportsLigue