Athletic Bilbao 2-1 Atletico Madrid: Chaos in La Liga as Atletico cedes advantage to Barcelona
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| Athletic Bilbao beat Atletico Madrid to throw the title race open for a four horse race. (Photo credit: La Liga Inside) |
La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid's title bid was de-railed again as they were beaten 2-1 at Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, offering Barcelona the chance to go top of the table next week.
Beyond the win for Athletic
Bilbao, it was a special night for Inaki Williams who made his 195th
consecutive La Liga appearances and now only second behind Real Sociedad’s shot
stopper.
Alex Berenguer put the hosts
ahead in the ninth minute and they missed a slew of chances to increase their
lead before Atletico drew level later in the second half through an unlikely
goal scorer Stefan Savic.
Diego Simeone's pacesetters went
for the winner but were caught out down the other end when Athletic defender Inigo
Martinez headed home from a corner in the 86th minute.
"People ask me what the most
important factor will be and it's obvious to me that it will be the mental
factor," Simeone said after the match.
"We did not play the way we
wanted to in the first half, it was totally different in the second, and the
team that manages that emotional balance the best will have the best chance of
winning the title."
Atletico still lead the table on
73 points but third-placed Barca, on 71 after beating Villareal 2-1
earlier on Sunday, can go clear at the top if they beat Granada on
Thursday.
"We're devastated,"
said Atleti captain Koke. "We looked to get back in the game in the second
half by any way possible, we drew level then they got the winner from a set
piece.
"We just have to keep going
and try to win our next game, we badly need to do that."
Atletico's defeat adds extra
intrigue to a thrilling four-way title race, with three points separating them
and fourth-placed Sevilla, who beat Granada 2-1, with five games left.
Champions Real Madrid are second
on 71 after being held to a 0-0 draw at home to Real Betis on Saturday.
Atletico visit struggling Elche
next before a blockbuster game away to Barcelona on May 8.
"We're still fighting for
the title and we believe we can win the five games we have left," added
Koke.
After a poor run of results let
Real, Barca and Sevilla back into a title race, which had looked like
Atletico's to lose, Simeone's side had calmed their nerves with back-to-back
wins over struggling Eibar and Huesca.
They faced an Athletic side
without a win in any competition since March 7 and who lost two Copa del Rey
finals this month, being hammered 4-0 by Barcelona in last week's showpiece.
But Athletic looked closer to the
energetic and intelligent side seen in their first few weeks under coach
Marcelino.
Berenguer put them in front with
a diving header from close range, reacting quickly after Ander Capa's
cross took a huge deflection off Atletico defender Felipe.
They
missed several chances to increase their lead before halftime against a passive
and disjointed Atletico.
Simeone sprung an attacking
triple substitution after the break in search of an equalizer, throwing on top
scorer Luis Suarez, record signing Joao Felix and winger Thomas Lemar.
The changes gave Atleti more
urgency and led to them dominating most of the second half but they still
lacked a cutting edge and struggled to contain Athletic's counters.
The hosts should have doubled
their advantage when Jon Morcillo burst up the left flank and found
striker Oihan Sancet, who blazed his shot over the bar.
Atletico got a lifeline when
Athletic keeper Unai Simon misjudged Yannick Carrasco's corner
and Savic rose to head home, but they could not build on the momentum and
Martinez had the final say.
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