Reuters
Madrid, Dec 14: Atletico Madrid turned up the heat on champions Barcelona when they fought back to secure a 2-1 win at home to Athletic Bilbao in La Liga here Sunday as Real Madrid slipped off the pace with a 0-1 loss away at Villarreal.
Atletico’s battling victory put them level at the top on 35 points with Barcelona and the loss saw Real adrift at third place with a five-point difference.
Bilbao took a 27th-minute lead at a typically boisterous Calderon stadium when defender Aymeric Laporte netted at a corner before Atletico midfielder Saul Niguez levelled with a header from a corner at the other end on the stroke of half time.
A closely-fought encounter appeared destined for a draw until the ball broke kindly for Antoine Griezmann in the 67th minute and the France forward curled a superb shot into the corner of the net from just outside the penalty area.
Real fielded their famous attacking trident of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema but could not make a host of chances count and the defeat placed under-fire coach Rafa Benitez under huge pressure.
Villarreal, midfielder Jonathan Dos Santos had already hit a post before Soldado, a graduate of Real’s youth academy, struck to put the home side ahead in the eighth minute.
“We were not switched on at the start,” Real centre-back Pepe told ‘Spanish television’. “We are still in the fight but it’s true that we have to start games differently and better,” added the Portugal international.
Ronaldo was a shadow of his aggressive self and was tightly marked by the Villareal defence. He could not find the space to manouvre and most of the time he was seen throwing up his hands in frustration as he did not get the supply-line working for him.
Having been dominated in the first half, Madrid came out a different side after the break and had a series of chances to turn the game on its head.
Benzema had scored five times in his last two outings for Madrid despite his off-field problems which saw him indefinitely banned from playing for France in midweek, however his range was off as he volleyed inches wide from Gareth Bale’s through ball early in the second session.
Another fine Bale cross was blasted over by Benzema moments later before Bale had a great chance himself, but on his weaker right foot which didn’t have the power to beat Alphonse Areola in the Villarreal goal.
Former England defender Gary Neville remained without a win in two games since taking over as Valencia coach after his new club had a man sent off and needed an Eibar own goal to rescue a 1-1 draw at the modest Basque side.