La Liga: Slumping Atletico Madrid are held 0-0 by Leganes
Atletico Madrid were held to a 0-0 draw at home by relegation-threatened Leganes in the Spanish league on Sunday, adding to the run of poor results by Diego Simeone’s team.
Leganés ended the match with 10 men after goalkeeper Iván Cuéllar was sent off near the end of injury time with a second yellow card for wasting time before taking a goal kick. The visitors finished with defender Jonathan Silva in goal because his side had made all three substitutions. He did not have to make a save.
Atletico never seriously threatened their modest crosstown rival at their Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in a match they needed to win to reclaim third place from Sevilla and stay in touch with Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Atletico were left seven points adrift of the two frontrunners before Madrid visit Valladolid later. Barcelona lost 2-0 at Valencia on Saturday.
The draw came three days after Atlético was eliminated by third-division club Cultural Leonesa in the round of 32 of the Copa del Rey. Before that it lost 2-0 at Eibar in the league and fell in a penalty shootout to Madrid in the final of the Spanish Super Cup.
Goalkeeper Jan Oblak saved Atlético from falling behind early when he blocked shots by Leganés’ Kevin Rodrígues and Martin Braithwaite in the opening minutes.
Ángel Correa and Álavaro Morata had the best chances for Atlético, but Correa fired high before Cuéllar had little trouble saving Morata’s header in the 37th.
The hosts did little more in the second half to put pressure on a side that has improved since Javier Aguirre took over in November. Leganés has only lost one of its last six league matches.
