Faltering Atletico stumble again at Real Betis
Sports
Jose Gimenez's early own goal consigned Atletico Madrid to a 1-0 defeat
SEVILLE (Spain) (AFP) – Jose Gimenez's early own goal consigned Atletico Madrid to a 1-0 defeat at Real Betis on Sunday in La Liga.
Atletico's third loss in five matches across all competitions left Diego Simeone's side fourth, trailing league leaders Barcelona by 10 points after 11 matches.
Betis put on a vibrant display and after surviving a late Atletico onslaught rose to fifth, two points behind their opponents.
"They were better than us, they had more chances, but in the second half the team tried. We hit the woodwork twice," Atletico captain Koke told Movistar after his team's first league defeat.
"There's a long way to go and we will keep working, stay quiet, work more in training and compete in matches as we have to, and keep going."
Atletico have drawn five times this season, giving up significant ground in the title race already.
"No (I'm not worried), I know clearly what the path is, I know where we have to work, I know that football is about the work," said Simeone.
"They are fair winners and we have to improve and keep working as we've always done."
Betis took the lead in the fourth minute, when Gimenez tried to clear Ez Abde's cross but hacked the ball into his own net.
It was the worst possible start for Atletico, trying to bounce back after they threw away the lead against French side Lille in the Champions League to lose 3-1 in midweek.
The hosts were dominant at their Benito Villamarin stadium, creating several chances without being unable to convert them to make the game safe.
Former Barcelona winger Abde fired wide when sent clean through and then struck the crossbar after Vitor Roque backheeled the ball into his path.
The Brazil striker, on loan from league leaders Barca, then smashed a shot into the side netting from a tight angle.
Betis thought they had won a penalty in the second half, but a VAR review showed Atletico's Javi Galan had kicked the ball before making contact with the stooping Pablo Fornals' head.
Simeone replaced Antoine Griezmann with regular super-sub Angel Correa and the Argentine forward hit the post with a hooked effort.
Correa then sent a glancing header against the crossbar from a free-kick as Atletico came to life in the final stages, but they could not find an equaliser.
Roque had a goal ruled out for offside at the other end and Betis faced seven nervy minutes of stoppage time before they were able to celebrate their three points.
"I think we had an incredible first half. We pressed, we had chances, we defended very well," Abde told Movistar.
"We kept working our socks off until the end and thank God, we won."
On Saturday, Barcelona thrashed champions Real Madrid to move six points clear of their arch-rivals at the top of La Liga.
Villarreal are third after snatching a late win at Real Valladolid on Saturday, one point above Atletico.
