Barcelona loses at Cadiz; Real Madrid wins, Atlético top

After Zinedine Zidane bought some reduction seeing Real Madrid finish a winless streak within the Spanish league, Ronald Koeman was again below fireplace after one other disappointing Barcelona loss.

Diego Simeone’s Atlético Madrid, in the meantime, received once more to take the league lead for the primary time this season.

Real Madrid edged Sevilla 1-0 Saturday for its first win after three straight league setbacks, whereas Atlético beat Valladolid 2-Zero to win its seventh straight league sport and Barcelona misplaced 2-1 at promoted Cádiz to remain removed from the highest.

Atlético moved two factors forward of Real Sociedad, which visits Alavés on Sunday and has performed one sport greater than Atlético.

Third-place Real Madrid is six factors off the lead and likewise has performed one further sport in comparison with Simeone’s staff. Seventh-place Barcelona is now 12 factors again.

“This was a huge step backward for us in the fight for the league title,” Koeman stated. “It’s disappointing. A difference of 12 points against a team like Atlético is a lot.”

Atlético, which has already crushed Barcelona this season, visits Real Madrid subsequent weekend.

BARCELONA HALTED

Barcelona misplaced within the league for the fourth time this season regardless of the return of Lionel Messi, who had been rested within the staff’s Champions League midweek match.

Barcelona was attempting to win its fourth consecutive match in all competitions however paid the value for a defensive mistake within the second half.

Clément Lenglet misplayed a ball inside the realm and goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen wasn’t in a position to totally clear it, permitting Álvaro Negredo to simply discover the open internet and provides Cádiz the win within the 63rd.

Cádiz had opened the scoring with Álvaro Giménez Candela following an eighth-minute nook kick, and Barcelona equalized within the 58th with an own-goal by Pedro Alcalá whereas he tried to dam a cross by Jordi Alba.

Cádiz, which was but to win at residence this season, moved to fifth place.

ATLÉTICO’S STREAK

Thomas Lemar scored with a good angled shot within the 56th and Marcos Llorente added to the lead after a pleasant run within the 72nd to maintain Atlético’s profitable streak within the league.

The staff has conceded solely two targets in 10 league video games and and stays the one unbeaten facet within the competitors.

The match in Madrid marked the return of Luis Suárez, who hadn’t performed with Atlético since November due to the coronavirus. The former Barcelona striker had examined positive for COVID-19 whereas with Uruguay’s nationwide staff.

Valladolid was winless in its first eight matches however was coming off two victories and a attract its final three video games. The staff owned by former Brazil striker Ronaldo is 19th within the 20-team standings.

REAL MADRID’S RELIEF

A second-half own-goal by Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine “Bono” Bounou gave Madrid victory on the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium.

“The last few days weren’t easy,” Zidane stated. “The team responded well and these three points are very important for us.”

Madrid arrived in Seville with Zidane below stress after the staff had received solely one in all its final 5 matches in all competitions. It had misplaced two of its final three league video games.

“This victory is very important to restore our confidence,” Vinícius Júnior stated. “We had played well in other matches but couldn’t get the victory. This has been a different season and sometimes it’s difficult to get going. We have to keep improving.”

Madrid and Sevilla have been coming off powerful losses within the Champions League — Madrid misplaced 2-Zero at Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday, whereas Sevilla was routed 4-Zero at residence by Chelsea on Wednesday.

Sevilla, which dropped to sixth place, had received three straight within the league, together with the final two at residence.

Madrid had by no means gone 4 straight matches with out a win within the league below Zidane.

Vinícius Júnior helped put Madrid on the board after a cross by Ferland Mendy from the left flank within the 55th. The Brazilian ahead redirected the ball with a gentle contact and it hit Bono earlier than going into the aim.

LEVANTE WINS AGAIN

Levante received 3-Zero at residence in opposition to Getafe, which completed the match with 9 males after the sending off of José Manuel “Chema” Rodríguez within the seventh minute and Djené Dakoman within the 77th.

Levante, which had drawn its final 5 matches 1-1 and was within the relegation zone, scored with Roger Martí within the fifth minute, Dani Gómez within the 17th and Jorge de Frutos within the 57th. The membership from Valencia hadn’t received in eight straight matches.