Atletico lost steam in the chase for Barca

Like their city team Real Madrid, Atletico were held back in round 25 of Liga and had to accept watching Barca widen the gap.

Torres and his teammates could not find a way into Villarreal's goal. Photo: Reuters

Hosting Villarreal in the latest match of round 25, Atletico could only get a 0-0 draw. This was a pity for fans while coach Diego Simeone's team took the initiative with 60% of the ball possession time and had two and a half times more shots than their opponents.

With the draw on the evening of February 21, Atletico only has 55 points after 25 matches. This team had to accept that Barca increased the gap from six to eight points, at the same time still only one point ahead of Real Madrid.

Earlier, in an early match in round 25, Barca broke away to create a big gap thanks to a 2-1 victory at Las Palmas. Meanwhile, Real Madrid were surprisingly held to a 1-1 draw by Malaga after Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty kick.

With both their biggest rivals dropping points, Barca have a great chance to defend their La Liga title. In the remaining 13 rounds, coach Luis Enrique's team has only one big challenge left: the match against Real at the Nou Camp.

For Villarreal, the draw with Atletico at the Vicente Calderon is proof of why they are in the top four. The "Yellow Submarine" currently has 49 points, eight more than fifth-placed Sevilla. A place in next season's Champions League is almost within Villarreal's grasp.

According to VNE