Atletico Madrid Loses Chance to Take La Liga Lead After Draw With Celta Vigo
MADRID — Atletico Madrid was held by Celta Vigo to a 0-0 draw at home on Saturday, missing its chance to regain the Spanish league lead.
A victory would have seen Atletico replace Sevilla at the top, but the hosts failed to capitalize on its chances at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.
Atletico has the same 10 points as Sevilla but trails on goal difference. Sevilla has a game in hand.
It was the third winless match in a row for Atletico, which was coming off a 2-2 home draw against Juventus in the Champions League. Last weekend, Diego Simeone's team lost 2-0 at Real Sociedad for its first setback of the season.
''We tried every way possible,'' Atletico defender Jose Maria Gimenez said. ''We went for the win until the last minute. It wasn't easy but we kept fighting. At least we didn't concede this time, but we let two important points slip away.''
Atletico had conceded six goals in its last three matches.
Atletico striker Diego Costa and Celta defender Lucas Olaza were shown yellow cards after the final whistle as players from both teams got into an altercation.
Celta, which was coming off a home loss against Granada, stayed 14th in the 20-team standings with five points from five matches. It hadn't won a point at Atletico since 2014.
Atletico visits Mallorca on Wednesday, while Celta hosts Espanyol on Thursday.
Earlier Saturday, Villarreal defeated Valladolid at home with two late goals, while Levante was held by visiting Eibar to a 0-0 draw. Villarreal moved to third place with its second straight victory.
On Sunday, fourth-place Real Madrid visits Sevilla, where it has lost four straight league games.
