Late Arambarri Double as Getafe Stun 10-Man Atletico Madrid

Mauro Arambarri scored two late goals, including a dramatic stoppage-time winner, as Getafe came from behind to defeat 10-man Atletico Madrid 2-1 in La Liga on Sunday. The result represents a significant blow to Atletico’s title aspirations, preventing them from capitalizing on Barcelona’s postponed match and moving to the top of the table.

With a game in hand, Barcelona lead La Liga with 57 points. Atletico remain on 54. Third-placed Real Madrid(54 points) will host Rayo Vallecano later.

Atletico, having not rested any key player, initially took the lead in the 75th minute through a controversial penalty. Substitute Alexander Sørloth converted from the spot after a lengthy VAR review determined that Getafe defender Omar Alderete had handled the ball in the box.

However, the match turned dramatically in the closing stages. Atletico’s Angel Correa was shown a straight red card in the 88th minute for a studs-up challenge on Djene.

Getafe immediately capitalized on their numerical advantage. Arambarri equalized, stroking home a rebound from close range. Two minutes into added time, he scored the winner, deflecting Diego Rico’s shot past Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak.

“After we scored the goal we knew they were going to go up and even so we lost the game at the end,” Atletico midfielder Pablo Barrios told DAZN. “We were doing OK but after (Correa’s) red card, with one less player, it got away from us… Until we scored the goal we had the game under control. With the sending-off we didn’t know how to control the result.”

The match had been a dour affair until the late drama, with La Liga’s top two defenses largely canceling each other out. Atletico, despite dominating possession, failed to register a shot on target until Sørloth’s penalty.

The defeat is a major setback for Diego Simeone’s side, who now face a crucial Champions League round of 16 second leg against Real Madrid on Wednesday, followed by a home league match against Barcelona on Sunday. Getafe’s late comeback highlighted Atletico’s inability to manage the game after taking the lead and being reduced to 10 men.