LEGANÉS.- With a completely renewed eleven, the Atlético de Madrid suffered its second consecutive defeat in LaLiga this Sunday before the Rayo Vallecano 3-0, in a Madrid derby moved to Leganes in which he almost definitively buries his hopes of fighting for the title.
With fourteen games remaining, Atlético is decidedly a black or white team. Capable, on Thursday, of beating the Barcelona (4-0) or even give him a little hand Real Betis (5-0), and falling, days later, against the same Betis (1-0) or against a Rayo in the middle of the crisis.
Already lost in the fight for the title, the colchoneros (4th, 45 points) lowered their arms on the grass of the Butarque municipal stadium, an emergency solution for the match to be played due to the alarming state of the grass in Vallecas, Rayo’s home.
The players led by Diego Simeonewho made nine changes to their starting eleven compared to the first leg of the semi-final of the King’s Cup Thursday against Barça, they are fifteen points behind Real Madrid (1st, 60 points) and thirteen points behind Barça (2nd, 58 points), before their move to Girona on Monday.
This Sunday, in a stadium that was barely half full, the rojiblancos were surprised at the end of the first half with a run by the Romanian full-back Andrei Ratiu culminated by the Spanish winger Fran Perez (40′) and then with a shot from Isi Palazón rejected by the Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblakbut well used by the experienced Oscar Valentin (45′).
The young Senegalese defender Nobel Mendyformer player of the Paris FCextended the lead with a header (76′) in the final stretch of the match.
These three goals were timidly celebrated by the few Rayo fans present in the stands, who took advantage of the occasion to once again ask for the resignation of their president. Raúl Martín Presa.
This victory, the first since 2013 in a derby against Atlético, is a huge blow for the franjirrojos (16th, 25 points) in the fight for permanence.
In the European Champions LeagueAtlético will travel on Wednesday to Witches for the first leg of the round of 16 playoff, without it being possible to predict which of its two sides it will show.
Athletic is getting closer
Before, the Athletic Bilbao (9th, 31 points), which was losing until the 58th minute, came back 2-1 against the promoted team Oviedo (20th and bottom, 16 units) to catch up with its neighbor and rival, the Royal Society (8th, 31 points), defeated 4-1 by the real Madrid on the eve
The Basque rivals, who will meet again in two weeks for the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final (1-0 in the first leg for Real Sociedad), are both four points behind sixth place, which gives access to the Conference League.
On his visit to Majorca (16th, 24 points), the Betis (5th, 38 points) will have a golden opportunity to get closer to the Top-4 this Sunday after the 2-1 defeat of the Villarreal (4th, 45 integers) on Saturday at the house of the Getafe (11th, 29 units).
