Atletico Madrid lost ground in the Champions League race, drawing 1-1 with Galatasaray despite creating better chances. The result keeps Diego Simeone's team on 13 points in eighth place, but the performance
suggested victory was available. Atletico Madrid produced more threat, yet left Rams Park with only one point.
The draw means Atletico Madrid missed the chance to climb level with second-place Real Madrid before the remaining Wednesday fixtures and the final matchday. A win would have strengthened their grip on a top-eight Champions League spot, but Galatasaray's resilience and Atletico Madrid's wasteful finishing left the group picture tighter.
The visitors started strongly, pressing high and moving the ball quickly into advanced areas. Julian Alvarez struck the side-netting early, signalling intent. Shortly after, Giovanni Simeone met a precise cross from the left by Matteo Ruggeri, guiding a header past Ugurcan Cakir to give Atletico Madrid a deserved early advantage.
Galatasaray responded in the 20th minute after an avoidable defensive mistake. Marcos Llorente turned a low cross from Roland Sallai into Jan Oblak's net, despite facing little pressure inside the six-yard box. That own goal shifted momentum, calming the home crowd and forcing Atletico Madrid to rebuild control against a more confident Galatasaray side.
After half-time, Atletico Madrid dominated territory and chances, but Ugurcan Cakir held firm. Alvarez saw a shot from inside the area blocked, while a driven ball across goal from Giovanni Simeone rolled just beyond the stretching Alexander Sorloth. David Hancko then had a goal-bound effort cleared on the line by Abdulkerim Bardakci.
Late pressure continued as Antoine Griezmann forced another key save. A curling free-kick looked destined for the corner, yet Cakir tipped it around the post. Overall, Atletico Madrid generated 1.43 expected goals from 15 attempts, while Galatasaray created 0.5 xG from seven shots, and only two of those efforts arrived after the interval.
Alvarez led all players with four shots but still could not beat Cakir. The forward's struggles extend beyond this match, as Alvarez has now gone seven games without scoring in all competitions, his longest barren spell since joining Atletico Madrid. The drought added to the sense of frustration around Simeone's attacking options.
7 - Julin Alvarez hasn't scored in his last seven games in all competitions, his worst run since his arrival to @atletienglish. Blocked. pic.twitter.com/EYSA0oZ5erOptaJose (@OptaJose) January 21, 2026
There was a personal milestone for Jan Oblak despite the disappointing Atletico Madrid Champions League result. Oblak became the fifth player to make 100 or more Champions League appearances under one manager. The goalkeeper joined Koke, also under Diego Simeone, plus Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville, who all reached that mark with Alex Ferguson.
Elsewhere in the group picture affecting Atletico Madrid Champions League hopes, Qarabag earned a dramatic 3-2 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in Baku. Bahlul Mustafazada scored the decisive goal in the 94th minute of a wide-open contest. That late strike moved Qarabag closer to the playoff rounds and added further intrigue to the final matchday.
The combination of Atletico Madrid's draw with Galatasaray and Qarabag's late victory over Eintracht Frankfurt left qualification scenarios finely balanced. Atletico Madrid still sit inside the top eight with 13 points, yet the missed chances in Istanbul, Alvarez's ongoing drought and Oblak's milestone all underlined how small details continue to shape this Champions League campaign.
