Rayo stun Liga leaders Barca

AFP, Barcelona :
Rayo Vallecano stunned impotent La Liga leaders Barcelona on Wednesday with a 2-1 win, outplaying the Catalans at a rowdy Vallecas.

Atletico Madrid cut the gap on second-place rivals Real Madrid to two points with a 3-1 win over Real Mallorca, celebrating their 120th anniversary in style.
Xavi Hernandez’s Barcelona remain 11 points clear of second-placed Real Madrid with seven matches remaining.

After the champions lost at Girona on Tuesday their hopes of defending the title are virtually over, despite Barcelona following suit with a deserved defeat in the capital.
Xavi’s side have won just one of their last four league matches — a narrow triumph over Atletico on Sunday — as they limp towards the finish line and a first title since 2019.

Barcelona’s coach urged his players to be wary of Rayo’s threat before the game, but they did not heed his warning. The Catalans have not beaten the Madrid club in their last four league meetings.

Rayo held on for only their second win in their last 11 league matches – and third in four games against Barca for coach Andoni Iraola.

Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid, on the club’s 120th anniversary, put on an entertaining display in their win over Mallorca with Antoine Griezmann at the heart of it once again.

The forward produced two assists as Rodrigo de Paul, Alvaro Morata and Yannick Carrasco struck for the hosts at the Metropolitano.

After Real Madrid were thumped 4-2 by Girona on Tuesday, Atletico capitalised to reel in their neighbours.

Atletico, wearing special blue and white kits at home to mark the occasion of their anniversary — the design was based on their first ever shirt — had
their celebrations disrupted early on.

“It’s impossible not to get stuck in with this atmosphere,” Simeone told DAZN.

“After such a bad start (to the season), to get back on our feet fills me with pride, because it was not easy.”
Matija Nastasic put Mallorca ahead against the run of play after 20 minutes, heading in from a corner.