Atletico Madrid squandered a three-goal lead in a remarkable 3-3 draw at Espanyol, as Vinicius Souza s equaliser ensured Los Colchoneros missed the chance to go second in LaLiga.
After seeing rivals Real Madrid leapfrog them with a 2-1 win over Rayo Vallecano, Atleti appeared set to move one point clear in the battle to finish as runners-up when they raced into a 3-0 lead.
Saul Niguez struck first with a left-footed finish from a tight angle 21 minutes in, and Antoine Griezmann s 14th league goal of the season put Diego Simeone s men in control on the stroke of half-time.
Atleti further extended their lead within 14 seconds of the restart, Yannick Carrasco converting the rebound when Angel Correa s drive was palmed away by Fernando Pacheco.
But Espanyol, fighting for their lives near the bottom of LaLiga, were in no mood to roll over. Cesar Montes powered a header home from a right-wing corner before Ivo Grbic s foul on Javier Puado allowed Joselu to convert from the penalty spot.
Vinicius then dented Atleti s bid for second with a glancing header from Aleix Vidal s cross 11 minutes from time, but with the hosts three points adrift of safety, it may not be enough to preserve their top-flight status.
FT 3-3
Insane comeback from 0-3 down for
— LaLiga English (@LaLigaEN)
