Spanish La Liga: ‘We are still in a privileged position’
Atletico captain Gabi stays positive despite 2-0 defeat to Levante.
Real Madrid's French forward Karim Benzema (C) vies with Valencia's French midfielder Sofiane Feghouli during the Spanish league football match Real Madrid CF vs Valencia CF at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on May 4, 2014. PHOTO: AFP
MADRID:
Atletico Madrid captain Gabi stayed positive despite his side squandering a chance to all but wrap up their first La Liga title since 1996 when they slumped to a surprise 2-0 defeat by Levante on Sunday that trimmed their lead at the top to three points.
"I am proud of the team, we tried every way we could and their best player was their goalkeeper," said Gabi in an interview with Spanish television.
"We can't make a drama out of it because we are still in the privileged position of having our destiny in our own hands. If we win our two remaining games we are champions."
Meanwhile, Real Madrid failed to take full advantage of Atletico's loss and Barcelona's 2-2 home draw against Getafe on Saturday when they needed a brilliant Cristiano Ronaldo volley in added time to rescue a point in a 2-2 home draw with Valencia.
Victory for Atletico at Valencia-based Levante would have meant they needed only a win at home to Malaga next weekend to secure top spot and render their final match at Barca the following week irrelevant.
However, an own goal from Filipe Luis in the seventh minute and a neat finish from David Barral 21 minutes from time meant Atletico will almost certainly need to beat the champions as well to secure their first title since 1996.
With two matches left, Atletico lead on 88 points, three ahead of second-placed Barca. Real, on 83 points in third, have a game in hand at Real Valladolid on Wednesday when a win would lift them
above Barca.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 6th, 2014.
Atletico Madrid captain Gabi stayed positive despite his side squandering a chance to all but wrap up their first La Liga title since 1996 when they slumped to a surprise 2-0 defeat by Levante on Sunday that trimmed their lead at the top to three points.
"I am proud of the team, we tried every way we could and their best player was their goalkeeper," said Gabi in an interview with Spanish television.
"We can't make a drama out of it because we are still in the privileged position of having our destiny in our own hands. If we win our two remaining games we are champions."
Meanwhile, Real Madrid failed to take full advantage of Atletico's loss and Barcelona's 2-2 home draw against Getafe on Saturday when they needed a brilliant Cristiano Ronaldo volley in added time to rescue a point in a 2-2 home draw with Valencia.
Victory for Atletico at Valencia-based Levante would have meant they needed only a win at home to Malaga next weekend to secure top spot and render their final match at Barca the following week irrelevant.
However, an own goal from Filipe Luis in the seventh minute and a neat finish from David Barral 21 minutes from time meant Atletico will almost certainly need to beat the champions as well to secure their first title since 1996.
With two matches left, Atletico lead on 88 points, three ahead of second-placed Barca. Real, on 83 points in third, have a game in hand at Real Valladolid on Wednesday when a win would lift them
above Barca.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 6th, 2014.