BARCELONA, SPAIN – Atletico Madrid continued their dismal type with a 1-0 defeat by Real Mallorca on Wednesday, leaving them sixth in La Liga and trying to find solutions.

Kosovan powerhouse Vedat Muriqi’s Sixteenth-minute strike was sufficient to inflict a fourth league defeat of the season on Diego Simeone’s guests, who’re 13 factors behind leaders Barcelona.

Atletico, knocked out of the Champions League, are winless in 5 video games and at their lowest ebb since Simeone arrived in December 2011.

“It’s good that the league is stopping, it will generate a bit more calm for us to be able to work,” Simeone informed DAZN.

“I hope that after the World Cup we can go with the idea of turning this situation around.”

Meanwhile Real Sociedad moved third with a 2-1 win at struggling Sevilla, who had two males despatched off within the first half.

With Atletico’s defence in disarray, the persistent Muriqi despatched Mallorca forward, ending from shut vary for his eighth league objective of the season, that means solely Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski has scored extra in La Liga.

Alvaro Morata thought he had put Atletico degree with a pointy end moments later however the ahead was marginally offside and the objective was disallowed.

Atletico created nothing of be aware after that, whereas on the different finish the silky Lee Kang-in triggered issues, whereas Muriqi remained a menace.

The striker arrange Amath Ndiaye on the break in the direction of the top however Jan Oblak produced a fantastic save to disclaim the Senegalese winger.

Mallorca goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic made a surprising response save to disclaim Morata close to the top as Atletico tried and didn’t salvage even a degree.

Axel Witsel’s Ninety fifth-minute overhead kick appeared prefer it might fly in however Rodrigo Battaglia headed it to security in an exhilarating finale, with the house facet celebrating an increase to tenth.

“I have gained a lot of confidence here, when I arrived at Mallorca I knew that it was my last chance,” journeyman ahead Muriqi, 28, informed DAZN.

“I have done nothing to be an idol yet, I want them to see me as a (Samuel) Eto’o, or a (Dani) Guiza.”

REAL DEAL
Jorge Sampaoli’s Sevilla, seventeenth, had been unable to construct on their derby level on the weekend and crimson playing cards for Ivan Rakitic and Tanguy Nianzou gave them an uphill battle towards Real Sociedad at a pissed off Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan.

Alexander Sorloth despatched Real Sociedad forward within the twentieth minute with a well-measured chip over goalkeeper Bono after being fed by Mikel Merino.

Alex Remiro made a elegant save at full stretch to cease Isco from equalising, however after that Sevilla turned their very own worst enemy.

Rakitic and Nianzou had been each despatched off for ugly challenges on Brais Mendez, simply six minutes aside.

Mendez punished Sevilla additional by tucking house the second objective after one other perfectly-weighted through-ball from Merino.

However, Rafa Mir nodded Alex Telles’s cross previous Remiro earlier than the break to present his staff a glimmer of hope, regardless of their numerical drawback.

Sorloth missed from level clean vary after Bono deflected David Silva’s low shot into his path at a clumsy top.

Sevilla stayed within the recreation however couldn’t discover an equaliser and likewise stay and not using a single win at house this season within the prime flight.

“The situation is worrying, we will have to sit down with the club to see if we can solve this together,” mentioned Sampaoli, who has solely managed two wins from 10 video games since being appointed in October.

“We need better players who can get at opponents and solidity in some areas. We will see if we can do it with these players, or if some will arrive.”

Elsewhere Quique Setien earned his first win as Villarreal supervisor with a slender 1-0 triumph at Espanyol, whereas Almeria beat Getafe by the identical rating.

BARCELONA – Barcelona’s Gerard Pique introduced his retirement on Thursday after a embellished career, saying “the moment has come to end this journey”.

“Saturday’s match (against Almeria) will be my last at the Camp Nou,” the 35-year-old posted on Twitter.

The veteran defender bows out with 4 Champions League titles and the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 with Spain.

“I wanted to tell you that I’ve decided the moment has come to end this journey,” he stated in a video clip of the star watching photos of himself as a small boy sporting the Barcelona shirt, or chasing after autographs.

“There’s no other team after Barca,” he added.

“I’m going to become a super fan, I’ll be supporting the team and pass on my love for Barca to my son.”

“And sooner or later, I’ll be back,” he concluded.

Pique can also be anticipated to be concerned within the membership’s closing La Liga fixture earlier than the World Cup, a visit to face Osasuna on Tuesday.

“He is part of the Barca club badge, he will always be a leader for Barca fans, he has clearly demonstrated what Barca love,” president Joan Laporta informed Barca TV.

“Pique understands our financial fair play situation and is very willing to help the club.”

It stays to be seen what is going to occur to the cash he was nonetheless owed by the membership for deferring a component of his wage through the Covid-19 pandemic, with some experiences in Spain suggesting he may let Barcelona off the hook to some extent, given their monetary scenario.

The Catalan defender has beforehand expressed a want to grow to be president of the membership someday and this will surely be remembered by future voters.

Laporta and his board have talked about the difficulty they’ve had lowering their wage invoice, with veteran gamers like Pique, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, on the greater finish of the dimensions.

“A life dedicated to Barca, thank you Pique,” wrote Barcelona on Twitter.

BARCA FOR LIFE

Arriving on the Camp Nou aged 10, Pique left his house metropolis for Manchester United’s academy in 2004, successful a primary Champions League trophy underneath then supervisor Alex Ferguson in 2008.

He then returned to Catalonia, serving to Barca to eight La Liga crowns, seven Copas del Rey and three Champions League titles in 2009, 2011 and 2015.

Known as a defender with an eye fixed for purpose, Pique netted 52 instances for Barcelona in 615 appearances, together with in a well-known 6-2 rout of Real Madrid in 2009.

Pique takes his go away with Barca knocked out of the Champions League within the group stage for the second season operating, because the membership look to maneuver into a brand new period.

Xavi used him this season as a fifth-choice centre-back, enjoying when others have been injured, and his performances drew criticism, whereas some followers whistled him through the latest win over Villarreal at Camp Nou.

The defender was at fault for a purpose which Inter Milan scored in a 3-3 draw at Camp Nou which nearly noticed Barcelona eradicated from the Champions League.

“I am in shock, people have been unfair to you, few have defended the Barcelona shirt like you have,” wrote former Barcelona defender and captain Carles Puyol on Twitter.

“I will always be able to say that I played by your side, a privilege, I love you, my friend.”

A sporting icon in Spain, Pique had movie star standing too as companion to Colombian singer Shakira.

They met through the filming of the video of Shakira’s 2010 World Cup anthem Waka Waka.

Shakira sang the official tune earlier than the 2010 World Cup closing ceremony in South Africa, with Pique’s Spain defeating the Netherlands 1-0 within the closing at Johannesburg’s Soccer City stadium.

“Once a champion, always a champion,” wrote FIFA’s official World Cup account, together with an image of Pique kissing the trophy.

The couple, who introduced their separation in June, have two youngsters.

Pique has combined enjoying with a burgeoning enterprise career, founding the sports activities occasions firm Kosmos which was behind the revamp of tennis’ Davis Cup.

Kosmos and Pique courted controversy at cost they obtained for serving to prepare the Spanish Super Cup’s transfer to Saudi Arabia.

MADRID – David Alaba scored with a surprising free-kick instantly after approaching as an alternative as reigning champions Real Madrid got here from behind to beat Almeria 2-1 of their opening recreation of the season in La Liga on Sunday.

Carlo Ancelotti’s facet trailed to an early aim by Largie Ramazani away in opposition to their promoted opponents, however Lucas Vazquez equalised simply after the hour mark.

The winner arrived with quarter-hour remaining at Almeria’s Power Horse Stadium, as Alaba strode onto the pitch and curled a free-kick in off the upright after Luka Modric had been fouled simply exterior the field.

Real have been made to work exhausting for the factors in opposition to an Almeria facet who gained final season’s second-tier title to return to La Liga after a seven-year absence.

“We had lots of shots on goal but once we got the first goal it made things much easier for us,” stated Ancelotti.

“I am happy with the way the game went. We were not spectacular but there were lots of things to take into account, like the game on Wednesday and the heat.”

At one level it seemed like Madrid would possibly endure a defeat of their opening league recreation of the season for the primary time since 2008, with Ancelotti’s resolution to rotate his squad not initially paying off.

The Italian had made 5 adjustments to the line-up that began in Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt within the UEFA Super Cup in Helsinki, when objectives by Alaba and Karim Benzema gave the defending European champions the primary silverware of the marketing campaign.

Alaba and Modric have been among the many gamers dropped to the bench, whereas close-season signings Antonio Rudiger and Aurelien Tchouameni have been handed first aggressive begins for his or her new membership.

RUDIGER CAUGHT OUT

Yet the sport was simply six minutes outdated when former Chelsea defender Rudiger was caught out by a ball excessive and Ramazani ran by means of to beat Thibaut Courtois.

Ramazani, the 21-year-old Belgian winger who used to be on the books at Manchester United, ran off to have fun in acrobatic style as Saudi-owned Almeria loved a dream start to their top-flight comeback.

Yet the hosts wanted some impressed goalkeeping from Fernando Martinez to hold them forward into half-time, with the standout save coming low to his left to deny Rudiger 5 minutes earlier than the break.

Vazquez then had the ball within the web within the forty third minute solely to be denied by a really tight offside name, however the full-back was the person who dragged the away facet again stage within the 61st minute as he pounced on a unfastened ball within the space to rating.

Almeria, who had already seen a dangling Vinicius cross strike the body of their aim on its manner behind earlier than that, quickly conceded once more.

When Modric was fouled simply exterior the field by Rodrigo Ely, Austrian defender Alaba was ready on the sideline for the prospect to come on.

The break in play allowed him to substitute Ferland Mendy, and he got here straight on to take the free-kick and rating in gorgeous style to full the newest comeback from Ancelotti’s crew.

Earlier, Japan star Takefusa Kubo marked his Real Sociedad debut by scoring the one aim in a 1-0 win at Cadiz.

Kubo, 21, moved to San Sebastian final month on a five-year deal from Real Madrid, after by no means managing to break into the primary crew on the Santiago Bernabeu.

Signed by Madrid from FC Tokyo as an 18-year-old in 2019, he was farmed out on mortgage to Mallorca, Villarreal after which Getafe, earlier than returning to Mallorca final season.

Carlos Soler’s penalty gave Valencia a 1-0 win over promoted Girona of their first La Liga outing below new coach Gennaro Gattuso.

Valencia held on after having Swiss defender Eray Comert ship off early within the second half.

Barcelona have been held to a 0-0 draw by Rayo Vallecano of their opening recreation on the Camp Nou on Saturday.

Atletico Madrid start their marketing campaign away at Getafe in considered one of three matches to be performed on Monday.