Madrid (AFP)

Stoppage for Atlético: Diego Simeone's men, who had four successes after the recovery, conceded their second draw in three games Tuesday at Celta Vigo (1-1) for the 35th day of Liga, but remain third only three points in front of Sevilla FC.

Alvaro Morata was not enough: lonely on the front of the attack of Colchoneros in the absence of Diego Costa (suspended) and the Portuguese prodigy Joao Felix (hit in an ankle), the Spanish international (27 years, 33 selections) scored an express goal after 51 seconds of play, but Atlético were joined on a crushed resumption of the right of Fran Beltran (49th) came to stay in the window of a surprised Jan Oblak.

A mess for Atlético, who had done the hardest by scoring the second fastest goal in La Liga this season, after that of Jaime Mata for Getafe on September 25 in Valencia (3-3), scoring after 45 seconds game.

An achievement that allowed the people of Madrid, for almost an hour, to restore confidence in Alvaro Morata after his double against Mallorca on Friday (3-0) and his participation in the festival against Osasuna (5-0), but whose place holder has been questioned recently by Simeone, who made him debut on the bench in four of the last six games ...

But Celta, in the fight for maintenance (provisionally 15th, seven points from the first relegation, Mallorca, 29 pts) had to garner at least one point, despite the defensive severity of the Colchoneros, to give themselves air at the bottom of the ranking.

If it is a good result for the Galicians, it is a little stop for the men of Diego Simeone: come back in tears after the three months of forced break by the pandemic, the Rojiblancos have chained four victories for their return, but have conceded two draws in the last three matches.

One at Camp Nou 2-2 against FC Barcelona on June 30th, and another this Tuesday evening, the 15th of the La Liga season, more damaging, against Celta.

With this draw, Atlético Madrid retains its third place, provisionally fourteen points from the leader Real Madrid (77 pts) who receives Alavés on Friday (8:00 p.m. GMT), and ten points from Barça (2nd, 73 pts), which receives the 'Espanyol for the Barcelona derby on Wednesday (20:00 GMT).

But the Colchoneros' place on the Liga podium is in the viewfinder of Seville, who moves to Athletic Bilbao on Thursday (20:00 GMT) in the hope of filling the three points that separate him from Madrid.

© 2020 AFP