Atletico Madrid missed the opportunity to move top of La Liga after battling to a 1-1 home draw against Celta Vigo on Saturday, playing nearly the entire match with 10 men following Pablo Barrios’ early red card.
After Real Madrid were held 1-1 at Osasuna earlier, Diego Simeone’s side had the chance to take the lead in the title race.
However, Barrios’ reckless challenge on Pablo Duran in the seventh minute, confirmed via VAR, left Atletico with an uphill battle.
Despite being a man down, Atletico held firm until the second half, when Iago Aspas converted a penalty following a foul by Robin Le Normand. With time running out, substitute Alexander Sørloth powered through the Celta defence to smash home an 81st-minute equaliser, ensuring Atletico stayed just a point behind Madrid.
“We defended well and suffered when we had to,” said Atletico captain Koke. “We’re still in the title race and must keep fighting.”
Celta, who dominated possession but struggled to break Atletico down, were left frustrated after coming close to a rare away win.
Barcelona, currently third, could pull level with Real Madrid if they beat Rayo Vallecano on Monday.
