Atletico Madrid and Barcelona set up a winner-takes-all decider for the league title after both teams drew on Sunday, while Real Madrid lost to see their slim title hopes end.
Little-used defender Tobias Alderweireld headed home a corner for Atletico in the 74th minute to cancel out Samuel Garcia’s opener for Malaga.
Though Malaga finished with 10 men, Atletico failed to score a winner that would have secured a first league title in 18 years after Elche held Barcelona 0-0.
Photo: EPA
Instead, Atletico travel to the Camp Nou at the weekend for a dramatic finale to decide the championship.
A draw will be enough for Atletico to pry the championship away from the defending champions, who must win to retain their title.
“We still believe in this team. We’re Atletico and we’re going to go there to win,” Atletico captain Gabi Fernandez said. “We’re used to playing in finals.”
Real Madrid limped out of the title race following a poor showing in Vigo, where a pair of turnovers allowed Charles to score both goals in a 2-0 win for RC Celta de Vigo.
Real face Atletico in the UEFA Champions League final and played as if they were already looking ahead to Lisbon as defensive mistakes by Sergio Ramos and Xabi Alonso allowed Charles to net easily in each half.
Cristiano Ronaldo was sidelined with an injury and Gareth Bale was on the bench, while Sami Khedira and Alvaro Arbeloa returned from long-term injuries to play.
Atletico’s attack looked disjointed early on without leading scorer Diego Costa, with replacement David Villa unable to finish three good opportunities — including early on when the Spain striker found the crossbar.
Raul Garcia headed well wide with only Willy Caballero to beat and the Malaga goalkeeper made key stops from Villa and substitute Diego Ribas after the break.
Thibaut Courtois rushed out to cut off Roque Santa Cruz’s solo effort on the hour mark, but the Atletico goalkeeper’s mix-up with defender Miranda allowed Samuel Garcia to get free to head home the opener.
With nerves starting to creep in, Alderweireld — filling in for the suspended Diego Godin — headed home a corner that allowed the home fans to exhale.
Marcos Angeleri’s second yellow card left Malaga with 10 men in the 88th minute and Atletico pushed forward as Jose Sosa’s free-kick narrowly missed the target, before Caballero made a leaping finger-tip stop from Adrian Lopez’s curling shot.
“It’s going to be an important game for the club,” Atletico coach Diego Simeone said. “We’ve reached the last round three points above Barcelona — nobody would have believed we had a chance to win, but here we are, still alivel.”
Barcelona, who counted themselves out of the title race eight days previously, came out at Elche with intention, but eventually seemed to settle for the result when word of Malaga’s first goal arrived.
Andres Iniesta volleyed a shot off the crossbar early on, before goalkeeper Manu Herrera got a touch to Lionel Messi’s effort in the 38th minute to tip it around the far post. Herrera denied Messi again after the restart, but the defending champions barely threatened again.
“It’s going to be a great week ahead and for some of us it could be our last game with Barca, so it would be a nice way to go out,” Barcelona defender Javier Mascherano said.
Atletico have not lost to Barcelona this season, drawing in four matches before finally beating the Catalans in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
Two teams will join Real Betis Balompie in being relegated to the second tier on the last day of the season after UD Almeria and Getafe secured victories to improve their chances of staying up.
Real Valladolid allowed Betis to rally three times before eventually losing 4-3 to the last-placed club.
Almeria, who won 2-0 at Granada, and Getafe — 1-0 winners over Sevilla — share 39 points, while Granada have 38 points ahead of their finale at Real Valladolid, who are tied on 36 points with CA Osasuna in the final two relegation places. Osasuna drew 1-1 at RCD Espanyol.
Also on Sunday, Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad drew 1-1 in the Basque derby.
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