Atletico Madrid’s inconsistent start to the La Liga season dragged on as they were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw away to Mallorca on Sunday, with Julian Alvarez missing a first-half penalty and Alexander Sorloth sent off.
Diego Simeone’s men looked on course for a much-needed victory when Conor Gallagher fired them ahead late in the game, but Vedat Muriqi struck in the 85th minute to earn the struggling hosts a share of the spoils.
The result leaves Atletico languishing in 12th place with just one win from their opening five matches, while Mallorca — sitting 19th — will take heart from their resilience.
Still reeling from a painful last-minute Champions League defeat to Liverpool in midweek, Simeone rotated his side and handed Alvarez his first start after injury. The Argentine partnered Giacomo Raspadori in attack, with Antoine Griezmann left on the bench.
Atletico began brightly, forcing Mallorca goalkeeper Leo Román into a string of saves. Pablo Barrios rattled the post with a long-range strike, while Alvarez saw his penalty denied by Román after Antonio Raíllo handled in the area. The Mallorca shot-stopper later produced another fine stop to frustrate Alvarez from close range.
The visitors’ task grew harder in the 72nd minute when Sorloth was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Raíllo. Yet, against the run of play, Atletico found the breakthrough minutes later. Marcos Llorente’s driving run ended with Román parrying his effort into Gallagher’s path, and the midfielder tucked home the rebound.
However, Simeone’s side once again failed to manage the closing stages. With five minutes remaining, Muriqi rose highest to nod in Jan Virgili’s cross, punishing Atletico’s inability to hold firm.
Jan Oblak was called into action in stoppage time, denying Pablo Torre’s curling strike, as Mallorca pushed for a dramatic winner that ultimately never came.
For Atletico, the draw underlined their ongoing struggles to turn control into victories, while for Mallorca, the late leveller offered hope in their fight to escape the relegation zone.
