Atlético: Moyá; Juanfran, Miranda, Godín, Siquiera; Gabi (Cerci 70’), Tiago; Koke, Raúl García (Griezmann 63‘), Arda Turan (Mario Suárez 75‘); Mandzukic. 4-2-3-1.
Villarreal: Sergio Asenjo; Mario Gaspar, Gabriel, Víctor Ruíz, Jaume Costa; Jonathan Dos Santos, Manu Trigueros (Tomás Pina 63‘), Bruno, Cheryshev; Vietto (Rukavina 89’), Uche (Moi Gómez 66‘). 4-4-2.
Goals:
0-1. 84. Vietto. Picked up Cheryshev pass and cut past Godín to score.
Yellow cards: Uche 17’, Arda Turan 28’, Mandzukic 41’, Jonathan Dos Santos 41’, Juanfran 44’, Manu Trigueros 55’, Koke 88’.
Third placed Atlético Madrid were surprisingly beaten 0-1 by Villarreal on Sunday evening, their first home defeat in the league for 19 months and 28 games. Both teams had come through important European games midweek, and the first half was hard fought and at times physical, with Koke shooting wide early on and Tiago forcing ex Atlético keeper Sergio Asenjo into a good save a few minutes later. The visitors were looking to score on the counter-attack, Cheryshev and Vietto going close either side of half time, and they felt themselves unlucky not to have been awarded a penalty by referee Pérez Montero when Gabi handled the ball in the area shortly before the break. A few minutes in to the second half though Asenjo had to keep out Mandzukic again following a “house special” set-piece free kick, and with an hour gone the Croatian striker headed in a Turan cross only for Pérez to disallow the goal for what he considered to be a previous foul on Mario. Villarreal were always looking dangerous on the breakaway though, and Vietto and Cheryshev both wasted chances before Vietto (who had been given his debut in top flight football by Simeone when they were both at Racing Avellaneda) picked up a Moi Gómez pass and dummied past Godín to fire a shot past Moyà. That took the “Yellow Submarine above Málaga up to sixth, and left their hosts still three points behind Barcelona in the table.