A red card, two Villarreal penalties, and Simeone rescues Atlético at 85
Goalless at the break, four goals and a sending-off after it. Villarreal scored twice from the spot in twelve minutes; Giuliano Simeone levelled it with five to play.
Nothing happened for 59 minutes in front of 61,978 people at the Metropolitano. Then everything did.
Marc Pubill put Atlético ahead. Gerard Moreno equalised from the penalty spot on 66. On 76 Robin Le Normand was shown a straight red card for a foul inside his own box, and Georges Mikautadze scored the penalty that came with it on 78.
Ten men, nine minutes, one equaliser
Atlético were a goal and a man down with a quarter of an hour to play. Giuliano Simeone scored on 85 and they left with a point.
They were fortunate to. Villarreal's 3.60 expected goals against Atlético's 0.71 is the widest gap of the weekend in Spain, built on four big chances created — and four big chances missed. Atlético took 19 shots, but 13 of them came from outside the box and ten were blocked. Villarreal had ten attempts inside it.
The manager's son
Giuliano Simeone's equaliser carried its own story. The Argentine forward, born in December 2002, wears the number 20 for the club his father Diego Simeone has managed since 2011. He had already produced a moment like this once before: his first LaLiga goal, against Las Palmas in November 2024, landed almost exactly 31 years after Diego's own first goal for Atlético in November 1993. The finish at the Metropolitano fit the same pattern — his side down to ten men and chasing the game, the manager's son the one who found the equaliser five minutes from time.
Match facts
- 59' — Marc Pubill (Atlético Madrid)
- 66' — Gerard Moreno (Villarreal), penalty
- 76' — Robin Le Normand (Atlético Madrid) sent off
- 78' — Georges Mikautadze (Villarreal), penalty
- 85' — Giuliano Simeone (Atlético Madrid)
| Stat | Atlético Madrid | Villarreal |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 52% | 48% |
| Total shots | 19 | 13 |
| Shots on target | 4 | 6 |
| Shots blocked | 10 | 4 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 0.71 | 3.60 |
| Accurate passes | 459 (88%) | 440 (88%) |
| Corners | 5 | 3 |
| Offsides | 3 | 1 |
| Fouls committed | 12 | 13 |
| Yellow cards | 3 | 2 |
| Red cards | 1 | 0 |
| Saves | 4 | 2 |
The five matchdays since
Atlético didn't stay level for long. They won 3-1 away at Sevilla three matchdays later, then lost 3-0 at Athletic Club and 1-2 to Liverpool in the Champions League, before putting together three straight wins: 3-0 away at Real Sociedad, 4-0 at home to Osasuna and, most recently, 2-1 over Real Madrid at the Metropolitano. Villarreal's run has been bumpier — league losses to Alavés and Deportivo La Coruña, a Champions League defeat to Borussia Dortmund and another league loss to Real Betis, before finally stringing back-to-back wins together: 3-1 away at Málaga and 3-1 at home over Levante.
Where it stands now
The draw turned out to be one building block of a strong start for Atlético. Through matchday 7 they sit 2nd in LaLiga on 16 points from seven games — five wins, one draw, one loss — with a +9 goal difference built on 16 scored and just 7 conceded, inside the Champions League places the league hands to Spain's top five finishers this season. Villarreal's opening block has been rockier: 8th on 8 points from seven games, two wins, two draws and three losses, a +1 goal difference from 13 scored and 12 conceded, outside both the Europa League and Conference League play-off spots for now.
What's next
Four points from two for Atlético, with a suspension to absorb. Villarreal have two from two and, after El Sardinero and the Metropolitano, a clear habit: they keep creating far more than they score.
Picks for you
Advertising. Affiliate links — we may earn a commission on your purchases, at no extra cost to you. It does not influence our editorial coverage.
Keep reading
International FootballFiorentina 1-1 Napoli: Jiménez cancels out Gilmour to deny Allegri's side at the Franchi
Billy Gilmour put Napoli ahead early at the Franchi, but Álex Jiménez's second-half equaliser earned Fiorentina a 1-1 draw despite Napoli dominating possession and shots on target.
International FootballBayer Leverkusen beat RB Leipzig 2-0 as Patrik Schick's scoring streak continues
Miguel Gutiérrez set up Patrik Schick's opener and then scored the second himself, giving Bayer Leverkusen a convincing 2-0 win over RB Leipzig at the BayArena.
International FootballNewly promoted Schalke and Elversberg play out 0-0 draw at the Veltins-Arena
FC Schalke 04 and SV Elversberg, both back in the Bundesliga this season, shared a goalless draw in Gelsenkirchen that left neither side's unbeaten home form dented.