Advantage Atletico after patched-up Real Madrid held by Getafe
A depleted Real Madrid delivered a major boost to Atletico Madrid's title hopes on Sunday by drawing 0-0 with Getafe in La Liga.
Atletico had thrashed Eibar 5-0 to reignite their own fading challenge and their victory proved even more valuable after Real Madrid were held to a goalless draw at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez.
This means Atletico extend their advantage near the top of the table in one to three points over Real while Barcelona, who now have a game at hand after winning the Copa del Rey final on Saturday, are five points back.
Sevilla could yet join the race once they defeated Real Sociedad 2-1 but with six points separating them and Atletico, it remains more of another chance.
Real Madrid have enjoyed an incredible fourteen days after beating Barcelona in the Clasico last weekend between knocking out Liverpool over two legs in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
But a crippling set of injuries and absentees means the squad is down to its bare bones which was the overall game that finally swept up with them.
"I'm not worried," said Zinedine Zidane. "There's a lot going on, a lot of absentees, nonetheless it is what it really is. We continue."
Zidane took only 13 senior outfield players to Getafe and still decided he previously to rest Toni Kroos and Karim Benzema by starting them on the bench.
Sergio Ramos, Ferland Mendy and Lucas Vazquez are both injured while Eden Hazard and Dani Carvajal were not deemed prepared to return.
Nacho Fernandez and Casemiro were both suspended, with Raphael Varane and Fede Valverde unavailable because of Covid-19 protocol.
It meant Zidane named only three senior defenders, with the 21-year-old Victor Chust handed his first La Liga start at centre back and Alvaro Odriozola to arrive at right back.
Benzema came on but cannot locate a winner for Madrid, who'll desire to have players back now for Wednesday's visit to Cadiz.
The first leg of the Champions Leaue semi-final against Chelsea is also only nine days away.
It represents hook shift in momentum after four wins in 11 league games had seen Atletico's 10-point advantage in February reduced to one before this weekend.
But a thumping victory over struggling Eibar at the Wanda Metropolitano may prove the spark to turn Atletico's form around.
Atletico's problems were also deepened by an injury to Luis Suarez earlier this month but Marcos Llorente and Angel Correa filled the void, both scoring twice either side of Yannick Carrasco which makes it three just after half-time.
It is the first-time Atletico have scored five goals given that they hammered Cadiz back September, a comfortable win appearing almost cathartic for a team that contain struggled so much for goals in recent weeks.
Eibar, who stay rooted to underneath of the table, were possibly the perfect opponents for the beginning of a recovery but games against Huesca, the out-of-form Athletic Bilbao and Elche should now offer Atletico a chance to regain momentum before a crunch visit to Barcelona on May 8.
Atletico scored four goals in 11 minutes either side of half-time, with Correa locating the net in the 42nd and 44th minutes, first prodding in at the trunk post before twisting on Carrasco's pull-back to create it two.
Carrasco then scored himself four minutes following the interval, sent clear by Saul Niguez's ball outrageous and in the 53rd minute, Correa found Llorente in the box and he had time to carefully turn and pick his spot.
The wonderful Llorente started and finished the fifth, combining quickly with Renan Lodi and Carrasco again to seal an emphatic win.
Getafe came closest to opening the scoring in the first half against Real Madrid when Jaime Mata's glancing header struck the post while at the other end Mariano Diaz's header needed to be cleared off the line.
Madrid came under great pressure before the hour-mark, the best of a handful of chances falling to Enes Unal's whose shot drew a great save from Thibaut Courtois.
Benzema came on but Getafe still looked much more likely to win it, Nemanja Maksimovic testing Courtois again with a deflected effort that needed to be pushed over ther bar.
Julen Lopetegui's Sevilla came from behind against Real Sociedad in which to stay touch with the leading trio.
Carlos Fernandez gave the home side a fifth-minute lead, but goals from Fernando and Youssef En-Nesyri, his 16th in the league this season, secured Sevilla a third straight win.
