MADRID, Feb 17: Playing at home and against the worst team in the Spanish league, Atlético Madrid had the perfect chance to gain some momentum and return to the top four.
The defending champion couldn’t take advantage of the opportunity, though, losing 1-0 Wednesday to a Levante team that came into the match with only one league win the entire season.
“We played badly and lost a great opportunity to put ourselves in a good position in the league,” Atlético coach Diego Simeone said.
The shocking loss kept Atlético from regaining the final Champions League qualification spot. It stayed fifth, tied on points with fourth-place Barcelona, which has a game in hand. League leader Real Madrid is 15 points ahead.
Atlético had won three of its last five leagues matches after enduring a four-game losing streak in the competition.
Levante’s only other league win this season was 2-0 against Mallorca last month. The Valencia club stayed 10 points from safety despite Wednesday’ win.
Atlético thought it had equalized deep into stoppage time but Ángel Correa’s bicycle-kick goal was disallowed for a foul away from the play.
Diego Simeone’s team hasn’t beaten Levante in four straight matches. It had also lost to Levante at home in a league game last year.
Simeone started with Matheus Cunha and Correa in attack, with João Félix and Luis Suárez coming off the bench in the second half but not being able to help the team improve much offensively.
Levante has the league’s worst defense with 50 goals conceded in 24 matches. It had conceded 18 goals in its last six league games, and 25 in its last eight matches in all competitions. (AP)
