Atletico Madrid loses Liga thriller at Cadiz on final touch

Cadiz's Spanish forward Ruben Sobrino (L) celebrates after scoring his team's third goal during the Spanish league football match between Cadiz CF and Club Atletico de Madrid at the Nuevo Mirandilla stadium in Cadiz on October 29, 2022.


For a second straight game Atletico Madrid was betrayed on the final touch of the ball.

Cadiz beat Atletico 3-2 in the Spanish league on Saturday after Ruben Sobrino knocked in a cross just before the final whistle to tilt the seesaw contest finally in the hosts’ favor. 

The last-second loss came just three days after Atletico was eliminated from the Champions League at the group phase following a 2-2 draw against Bayer Leverkusen. 

Atletico’s Yannick Carrasco had a penalty saved and two efforts to put in the rebound by teammates failed on the final kicks of the match. Cadiz led 2-0 until substitute João Félix sparked a late comeback by Atlético.

His scissor kick was turned into his own net by Luis Hernandez in the 85th and Félix equalized with a long strike in the 89th. The Portugal forward even went close to putting the visitors ahead with a header that barely missed in injury time. 

But a last-gasp surge by Cadiz paid off when Sobrino was left unmarked at the far post where he used his torso to turn in a cross and unleash the revelry at Nuevo Mirandilla Stadium. 

The loss jeopardized Atletico’s grip on third place. “Things are not going our way right now,” Atletico coach Diego Simeone said. “(We must) be strong, show some backbone, and remain calm because there will be criticisms, both just and unjust.”

It was the relegation-threatened Cadiz’s first victory at home this season. 

Cadiz built its two-goal lead after Theo Bongonda struck just seconds after kickoff and Alex Fernandez fired in off the crossbar in the 81st. Atletico and Spain striker Alvaro Morata had to be substituted due to a contusion in his right foot early in the game. Spain coach Luis Enrique is set to announce his World Cup squad on Nov. 11.


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