A red card, two Villarreal penalties, and Simeone rescues Atlético at 85
Goalless at the break, four goals and a sending-off after it. Villarreal scored twice from the spot in twelve minutes; Giuliano Simeone levelled it with five to play.
Nothing happened for 59 minutes in front of 61,978 people at the Metropolitano. Then everything did.
Marc Pubill put Atlético ahead. Gerard Moreno equalised from the penalty spot on 66. On 76 Robin Le Normand was shown a straight red card for a foul inside his own box, and Georges Mikautadze scored the penalty that came with it on 78.
Ten men, nine minutes, one equaliser
Atlético were a goal and a man down with a quarter of an hour to play. Giuliano Simeone scored on 85 and they left with a point.
They were fortunate to. Villarreal's 3.60 expected goals against Atlético's 0.71 is the widest gap of the weekend in Spain, built on four big chances created — and four big chances missed. Atlético took 19 shots, but 13 of them came from outside the box and ten were blocked. Villarreal had ten attempts inside it.
Match facts
- 59' — Marc Pubill (Atlético Madrid)
- 66' — Gerard Moreno (Villarreal), penalty
- 76' — Robin Le Normand (Atlético Madrid) sent off
- 78' — Georges Mikautadze (Villarreal), penalty
- 85' — Giuliano Simeone (Atlético Madrid)
| Stat | Atlético Madrid | Villarreal |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 52% | 48% |
| Total shots | 19 | 13 |
| Shots on target | 4 | 6 |
| Shots blocked | 10 | 4 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 0.71 | 3.60 |
| Accurate passes | 459 (88%) | 440 (88%) |
| Corners | 5 | 3 |
| Offsides | 3 | 1 |
| Fouls committed | 12 | 13 |
| Yellow cards | 3 | 2 |
| Red cards | 1 | 0 |
| Saves | 4 | 2 |
What's next
Four points from two for Atlético, with a suspension to absorb. Villarreal have two from two and, after El Sardinero and the Metropolitano, a clear habit: they keep creating far more than they score.
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