94Ha Viewpoint
The top spot in La Liga changed hands on Sunday (March 2) Singapore time, with Real Madrid suffering a heavy blow after losing 1-2 to Betis, while city rivals Atletico Madrid took the opportunity to top the table by defeating Athletic Bilbao 1-0.
Visiting Real Madrid first relied on Diaz to open the game, but Betis equalized the score through Cardoso’s header, and Isco, who will leave Real Madrid in 2022, sealed the victory for the team with a penalty kick in the second half.
After the game, Real Madrid coach Ancelotti called it a huge setback on the road to defending the title. He said: “This is a big blow. We have to react. We started well, but then we were not committed enough and the game got out of control. The opponent played better than us and deserved to win.”
Real Madrid will face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League round of 16 on Tuesday (March 4th) local time. Ancelotti said bluntly: “If we play like this on Tuesday, we will not win.”
Atletico Madrid narrowly defeated Bilbao and topped La Liga
On the same day, Alvarez, who came on as a substitute, scored a goal just 6 minutes after his debut, helping Atletico Madrid beat Bilbao 1-0 at home and temporarily topped La Liga.
Atletico Madrid coach Simone replaced Llorente and Alvarez in the 60th minute of the game, which was a miracle. The two teamed up to break the deadlock in the 66th minute.
Simeone commented after the game: “Our substitutions in the second half worked, (goalkeeper) Oblak also performed well, and the goddess of luck favored us, and the opponent’s shots hit the goalpost and the crossbar.”
And Alvarez said after the game: “This is a very important victory, we know it will not be easy.”
He continued: “We are in the championship, but we know there is still a long way to go, many very important games are coming, but through hard work and humility, we will achieve (our goal).”
Atletico Madrid leads Barcelona and Real Madrid by two points after the game. Barcelona will play against Real Sociedad on Sunday night (2nd), and if they win, they can regain the top spot.
