Atletico Madrid squandered a prime opportunity to move to the top of La Liga as they were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Celta Vigo on Saturday.
The hosts were forced to play almost the entire match with ten men after midfielder Pablo Barrios was shown a straight red card in the fourth minute for a reckless studs-up challenge on Pablo Duran.
Celta took advantage of Atletico’s numerical disadvantage when Iago Aspas converted a penalty in the 68th minute after Robin Le Normand fouled Borja Iglesias inside the box. However, Atletico found a late equalizer when Alexander Sorloth, coming off the bench, finished off a quick counter-attack in the 81st minute to secure a crucial point for the home side.
Real Madrid still sit at the top of the table with 51 points after their 1-1 draw at Osasuna earlier on Saturday, one point ahead of Atletico in second. Barcelona, with a game in hand, are third on 48 points and will face Rayo Vallecano on Monday.
