Real Sporting de Gijon scored twice in the final 11 minutes to deliver a huge blow to Atletico Madrid’s La Liga title challenge with a 2-1 win on Saturday.
Antoine Griezmann’s stunning first-half free-kick put Atletico in front.
However, Atletico felt the aftereffects of their efforts in seeing off PSV Eindhoven after injury-time and penalties in the Champions League on Tuesday last week as Antonio Sanabria and Carlos Castro turned the game around in the final stages.
Photo: EPA
Barcelona were to play Villarreal yesterday, with the chance to move 11 points clear.
Third-placed Real Madrid could close the gap on Atletico to a point. They were to play Sevilla.
“We were always clear that the objective of the club is to be in the top three,” Atletico boss Diego Simeone said. “That is what we are working towards. This defeat goes against any aspiration to be champions.”
Simeone named a side with an average age of 23 as he made five changes from the team who started against Eindhoven.
Atletico have often felt they have been prejudiced by the scheduling of their La Liga fixtures around European games this season.
Simeone hinted at his frustration at having to play at early on Saturday, while Barcelona and Real Madrid were not to play until yesterday.
“I don’t like to look for excuses. I’m happy that we are premium, we play at four o’clock and they see us in China,” he said with a hint of irony.
Griezmann retained his place up front and was once again Atletico’s only serious goal threat as he opened the scoring just before the half-hour mark.
Sporting had reason to feel hard done by as Pablo Perez looked to have taken the ball before making contact with Saul Niguez on the edge of the area.
There was no stopping Griezmann’s effort from the resulting free-kick as he curled the ball over the wall and into the top corner.
Simeone looked to hold out for the three points as he withdrew his three most attacking players in Griezmann, Angel Correa and Luciano Vietto after the break.
However, for once, Atletico’s defensive resilience let them down.
Sanabria rifled a free-kick through the Atletico wall to leave Jan Oblak unsighted.
Of further concern for Atletico was Jose Maria Gimenez pulling up with a hamstring injury making him a doubt for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final away to Barcelona on April 5.
With Simeone having made all three substitutions, the visitors had to see out the final few minutes with 10 men.
They could not do it as Sanabria again burst down the left and this time his low cross was converted at the far post by the relieved Castro.
Victory brought Sporting to within a point of survival as Granada and Rayo Vallecano de Madrid stayed just out of the drop zone with a 2-2 draw.
Youssef El Arabi twice put Granada in front, but Pablo Hernandez and Ze Castro replied for the Madrid side.
Levante UD remain rooted to the bottom, four points from safety, as goalkeeper Diego Marino’s unfortunate own-goal handed RC Deportivo de La Coruna a 2-1 win — their first this year.
UD Las Palmas continued their march toward safety thanks to Willian Jose’s solitary goal to secure a fourth win in five games, 1-0 away to Real Sociedad.
Malaga moved up to eighth with Ignacio Camacho’s late winner in a 1-0 victory against Real Betis Balompie.
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