Atlético Madrid missed a crucial opportunity to claim the top spot in LaLiga after settling for a 1-1 draw against Celta Vigo at home on Saturday, despite playing with 10 men for nearly the entire match.
The home side's challenge became significantly more difficult in the fourth minute when midfielder Pablo Barrios received a straight red card for a dangerous studs-up challenge on Pablo Durán. This marked Barrios' second dismissal in less than a month, following a similar incident in Atlético's 2-1 Champions League victory over Bayer Leverkusen three weeks ago.
The match remained deadlocked until the 68th minute when substitute Iago Aspas converted a penalty, awarded after Robin Le Normand fouled Borja Iglesias in the box. However, Atlético showed remarkable resilience when Alexander Sørloth, coming off the bench, leveled the score in the 81st minute with a clinical finish following a counter-attack.
The result leaves Real Madrid at the summit of LaLiga with 51 points, following their own 1-1 draw at Osasuna earlier in the day. Atlético sits one point behind in second place, while Barcelona, with 48 points and a game in hand, prepares to face Rayo Vallecano on Monday.
"When you are down to 10 men so early it's very difficult," Atlético captain Koke told DAZN after the match. "The team tried everything, we defended well, knew how to endure suffering. Sure, we wanted to take advantage of Real's draw with a win here, but we'll take the point. It isn't that bad as we're still in the fight for the title."
Despite their numerical disadvantage and Celta's dominance in possession, Atlético created several dangerous opportunities on the counter-attack, with Giuliano Simeone and Julián Álvarez squandering promising chances. Goalkeeper Jan Oblak delivered an impressive performance, making crucial saves to deny Fernando López and Duran as Celta increased their pressure after the break. However, he could do little to prevent Aspas's powerful penalty strike into the top corner.
Diego Simeone's tactical adjustments proved decisive when he made three substitutions to reinvigorate his team. The move paid dividends as Sørloth, just three minutes after entering the field, expertly controlled a long ball on his chest, outmaneuvered defender Carl Starfelt, and dispatched a precise half-volley from the edge of the box into the bottom corner to secure a valuable point for Atlético.
