Atletico Madrid’s La Liga title challenge suffered a serious setback with a shock 2-0 defeat against Levante, leaving Diego Simeone’s men needing four points from their remaining games – including a lastday trip to Barcelona – to be sure of taking the title.
Levante went ahead with the first meaningful attack of the game, when an outswinging corner from Papakouli Diop was allowed to bounce and deflected off the hapless Filipe Luis before spinning past Thibaut Courtois and over the line.
Initially Atletico responded well and should have levelled five minutes later. Gabi’s long ball was misjudged by home team captain Juanfran and fell to Raul Garcia, whose shot on the turn was brilliantly saved by Keilor Navas.
The loose ball dropped straight to David Villa, but the veteran Spain international blazed badly over the top from 12 yards with the goal gaping.
Diego Simeone’s team were struggling to find attacking rhythm against Levante’s rugged defence, and their only other serious chance of the first half came when rightback Toby Alderweireld – replacing the suspended Juanfran for Atletico – tried his luck with a narrow angled drive which Navas saved well at his near post.
The second half was a different story as Atletico poured forward in search of an equaliser, with half-time substitutes Arda Turan and Adrian proving particularly prominent.
Atletico created a steady flow of chances, and the Turkish midfielder should have done better than head over the bar from Adrian’s left wing cross.
Luis had a shot scrambled away by Loukas Vyntra and the uncharacteristically subdued Diego Costa stabbed narrowly wide from a whipped free-kick from Diego, before the outstanding Navas produced a brilliant save to turn aside a deflected long-range effort from Alderweireld.
It appeared to be just a matter of time until Atletico levelled, but completely against the run of play they fell two behind when Levante broke and Victor Casadesus delivered a left wing cross which David Barral – a former Real Madrid trainee – bundled over the line.
The feeling that it was just not going to be Atletico’s day was further strengthened when Adrian superbly controlled a long ball and curled a composed shot past Navas but saw it bounce off the right-hand upright and away to safety.
Tiago fired narrowly wide and Navas made a routine stop from Turan to preserve his clean sheet and breathe new life into the title race.
