Atletico Madrid’s difficult start to the season continued on Sunday as they were held to a 1-1 draw at struggling Mallorca, despite taking the lead through Conor Gallagher and dominating much of the game.
The visitors missed a golden chance to take control when Julian Alvarez, back from injury, saw his first-half penalty saved by Mallorca goalkeeper Leo Román. To make matters worse, Alexander Sørloth was sent off midway through the second half before Vedat Muriqi struck late to snatch a point for the hosts.
Atletico, who also suffered a painful late Champions League defeat at Liverpool in midweek, now sit 12th in La Liga, nine points adrift of leaders Real Madrid.
Koke: “We Played Well, But Goals Don’t Come”
Captain Koke admitted frustration after
another game of missed opportunities.
“I think we dominated the game from start to end, until we scored and they, with one more player, turned up the pressure,” he told DAZN.
“They had one chance and they scored. I think we played very well. It’s clear that what matters is scoring goals and they don’t want to go in.”
Still, he stressed the long road ahead:
“Obviously we’re dropping a lot of points but there’s a long way to go until May.”
Missed Chances and Red Card Drama
Atletico began brightly, with Pablo Barrios rattling the post from distance before Román parried Alvarez’s spot-kick after Antonio Raíllo handled a shot from David Hancko.
Román repeatedly frustrated Alvarez, producing another fine save after the break, before Atletico’s task grew harder when Sørloth was dismissed in the 72nd minute for a reckless challenge on Raíllo.
Moments later, Simeone’s men broke the deadlock. Marcos Llorente’s driving run ended with Román pushing his strike into Gallagher’s path, and the midfielder calmly slotted home.
Muriqi Rescues Mallorca
Mallorca, still searching for their first win of the campaign, refused to fold. With five minutes left, Jan Virgili’s cross found Muriqi, who rose highest to nod past Jan Oblak.
The Atletico goalkeeper was then called upon to deny Pablo Torre’s curling effort as Mallorca poured forward in stoppage time, but the game ended level — a relief for the hosts, still marooned in 19th place.
What It Means
Atletico’s draw extends their streak to just one win in five league matches, with Simeone under pressure to find a solution in attack as costly points slip away. Barcelona, meanwhile, can extend the gap further when they host Getafe later on Sunday.
(with AFP inputs)
