Atlético Madrid 1 - Villarreal 1

Atlético: Leo Franco; Velasco, Perea, Pablo, Antonio López; Maxi, Zahinos, Gabi (Luccin 71'), Petrov (Ibagaza 75'); Kezman, Fernando Torres. 4-4-2.
Villarreal: Viera (Barbosa 30'); Javi Venta, Quique Alvarez, Gonzalo Rodríguez, Arruabarrena; Josico, Tacchinardi (Peña 21'); Riquelme, José Marí (Marcos Senna 63'), Sorín; Diego Forlán. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Atlético: Gabi for Luccin / Villarreal: Gonzalo Rodríguez for Peña.

Goals:
1-0. 05. Zahinos. Struck shot which ballooned off Arruabarrena over Viera.
1-1. 94. Diego Forlán. Ran through to head Riquelme's pass wide of Leo Franco.

Villarreal moved up to sixth in the table after a last gasp 1-1 draw at Atlético Madrid, heading a group of five teams on sixteen points and just one point behind fourth placed Getafe. Pellegrini's side got off to a bad start, Zahinos getting his first goal for the locals with a shot which came off Arruabarrena in the fifth minute of the game. Ten minutes later the visitors were left with ten men after Gonzalo Rodríguez was sent off for a foul on Fernando Torres, and after bringing on Peña to shore up the defence, the coach had to make a second substitution to replace his injured keeper Viera with Barbosa.

Atlético failed to take advantage though, Barbosa saving from Torres and Maxi shooting just wide. Gabi almost squeezed a shot past the young keeper on the stroke of half time, and Kezman put him to the test with a header after the restart. But the locals started to run out of steam, and Forlán let them off the hook when Riquelme set him up only to shoot wide with the goal at his mercy.

The introduction of Ibagaza for Petrov revitalized the home side, but the substitution of Gabi by Luccin only resulted in numbers being evened up when the French midfielder picked up two yellow cards in fifteen minutes. And with the game already in the last minute of injury time the clock stood still for the local fans as Forlán ran past a static defence to head home the equaliser. Atlético had let another two points slip away, and they ended the weekend in mid-table.