La Liga Summary: Atletico Madrid Suffer Another Blow for La Liga Title

Saturday’s La Liga action saw contrasting fortunes for two Madrid sides as second-placed Atletico Madrid stumbled.

Real Madrid’s 3-0 victory at Real Valladolid took them four points clear of the title as Los Rojiblancos were held by Villarreal.

A draw in the capital was reflected in a 1-1 draw between Sevilla and Espanyol, with Real Betis securing a dramatic late victory in Mallorca.

Mallorca 0-1 Real Betis

Rea Betis ended a run of three consecutive defeats in all competitions at the last possible moment in Palma.

The hosts pretty much overshadowed a lackluster first half but with no real openings on either side.

With chances remaining limited, Real Betis’ case was helped with 20 minutes remaining, as Omar Mascarell was shown a straight red card for the home side.

However, there was to be one final twist, as Cédric Bakambu delivered a cross in the 94th minute, to head home his first league goal of the season.

Atlético Madrid 1-1 Villarreal

Atletico Madrid made a mistake at Leganes last weekend and stuttered at home to Villarreal this time around.

The hosts were behind from the start, as Reinildo Mandava was penalized for a foul on Gerard Moreno, and the Spain international converted the resulting penalty.

A controversial backhand left Diego Simeone frustrated, before Samuel Lino equalized after the break as Los Rojiblancos pushed for a winner that never came late.

Sevilla 1-1 Espanyol

The spoils were shared in Sevilla as both teams extended their unbeaten run until 2025 to three league matches despite the hosts eyeing European qualification and Espanyol in a relegation battle.

Marash Kumbulla scored a rare goal to put the visiting side ahead before Loic Bade confirmed his intention to stay at Sevilla this month with a second-half equalizer for the hosts.

Images via Getty Images/One Football