THE Real Madrid scored a goal to defeat her Atlético at the “Bernabeu” and would increase the difference from the second-placed Girona, who got stuck in the game with Sociedad, to four points, 60 to 56, taking, after 23 games in La Liga, a lead in the race to win the championship. That was not to be, as Marcos Llorente’s equalizer in the 90+3′ kept the difference at 2 points, 58 to 56, and makes the game between Real and Girona next Saturday crucial.
Real Madrid were second in the standings behind Girona for about two months, but that was only because they had… less matches. In the first four days of February, Mitchell’s amazing team saw the “merenches” to overtake it, with a 2-0 win over Getafe on the first day of the monthwhile they themselves lost ground staying at 0-0 at home with Sociedad. Until the 90+3′ of the game with Atlético, in Girona they were sure that the difference would go to four points, but then Atlético scored the goal: the cross brought Memphis to the height of the box, his header was high, the defense was fast asleep and Marcos Llorente came in as a trailer with his ease and a nailing header, which hit the crossbar and ended up in the net, gave his team a point.
Real Madrid-Atletico Madrid: Silence at the “Bernabeu”
Brahim Diaz took the place of Vinicius, who was injured in the warm-up and his eventual absence will be a blow, but he scored in the 20th minute after half a dozen scrums in the Atletico area. The “albirochos” were threatening from the air, Lunin saved Witsel’s header in the 22nd minute, Savic in the 23rd minute and Saul in the 26th minute.
In Atlético, a goal was disallowed in the 49th minute, with Savic’s header, after Saul was in an offside position and was influencing the situation, while Real have two to complain about two penalties to Bellingham inside the area, in the 60′ by Savic and in the 83′ by Saul. Griezmann had a back-heel that was blocked by Lunin.
THE Barcelona passed alone in third placewith 50 points, while Atlético has 48. Real are on 58, two clear of Girona, who they face at the Bernabeu next Saturday, February 10, a game that may give them the air they were deprived of by Llorente, who plunged it into… silence ” Bernabeu”.