The La Liga encounter between Atlético Madrid and RCD Espanyol this past Saturday was, by most accounts, a frustrating affair for the Colchoneros.
However, the drab match was had a moment of pure slapstick that quickly went viral.
In a bizarre incident, one of the assistant referees found himself taking an unexpected tumble, flipping completely upside down before hitting the turf.
The comical collision occurred with Atlético Madrid forward, Giuliano Simeone in the 60th minute.
The son of Diego was too eager to get to the ball near the sidelines, leading to an accident with the Rodriguez Moreno.
How did the referee react?
Instead of the expected anger or frustration, Moreno took the whole thing in stride.
Videos from the RCDE Stadium showed the official laughing off the incident, much to the amusement of the crowd and likely the players as well.
Atletico’s title charge takes massive hit
A wonder strike from César Azpilicueta couldn’t mask Atlético’s disjointed performance, leading to a 1-1 draw after Javi Puado’s penalty leveled the score for Espanyol.
This result put a dent in Atlético’s title aspirations, leaving them trailing FC Barcelona, who are 6 points ahead with a game in hand.
Simeone’s Defiant Stance
Despite the setback, Diego Simeone remained defiant in his post-match press conference.
When questioned about whether the title challenge was over, the Atlético boss refused to concede defeat.
“I always say that the league is defined in the last five games, and those teams in the positions in the last rounds will fight for the title,” Simeone stated.
He emphasized that the true contenders would emerge in the final stretch of the season.
However, with Barcelona potentially extending their lead significantly, Atlético will need a swift return to form, especially with a crucial Copa del Rey semifinal second leg against the very same Barcelona looming at the Metropolitano.
