In the match corresponding to matchday 21 of La Liga, Atlético de Madrid faced Villarreal at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium. The home team aimed to temporarily lead the standings, as Real Madrid was ahead of them by one point.
Atlético de Madrid arrived at the match with the intention of correcting mistakes that had caused them to drop in the standings in previous matchdays. Despite dominating possession of the ball, the home team was outperformed by Villarreal, who took the lead on the scoreboard with a goal from Gerard Moreno from a penalty in the 29th minute.
In the second half, Atlético de Madrid managed to equalize the match thanks to a goal from Samuel Lino in the 58th minute. Despite their attempts to turn the score around, Villarreal was able to contain the game and take a point from their visit to Madrid.
After the defeat in the previous match against Leganés, Atlético had lost the top spot in favor of Real Madrid, who took advantage of the situation to position themselves at the top after thrashing Las Palmas. In the upcoming league matches, Atlético will face Valladolid, Espanyol, and Real Madrid in the Spanish Derby, an opportunity to try to reclaim the top spot.
Before resuming league matches, Atlético de Madrid will play the last match of the UEFA Champions League and then will face Mallorca, Real Madrid, and Celta de Vigo, matches that will be crucial in their fight for the title in La Liga.
