Atlético Madrid 0 - Alavés 1

Atlético: Esteban; Otero, Coloccini, García Calvo, Sergi; Emerson (Dani 46'), Nagore; Contra (Aguilera 65'), Correa, Movilla; Javi Moreno (Jorge 53'). 4-2-3-1.
Alavés: Dutruel; Karmona (Turiel 91'), Abelardo, Téllez, Llorens; Astudillo, Luis Helguera; Mara (Ilie 52'), Pablo, Ibon Begoña; Rubén Navarro (Iván Alonso 73'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Atlético: García Calvo, Sergi, Nagore, Contra, Correa, Javi Moreno for Hibic, Carreras, Albertini, Aguilera, Jorge, José Mari / Alavés: Mara, Ibon Begoña for Magno, Iván Alonso.

Goals:
0-1. 55. Ilie. Controlled pass with head and ran on to shoot across Esteban.

Atlético Madrid were beaten 0-1 at home by struggling Alavés, and have now lost all three of their games since their centenary celebrations began. The match was preceded by news that Luis Aragonés will be standing down next season, and the manager made six changes in an attempt to turn around their fortunes.

However the visitors put up a stone wall in the first half, and neither side troubled the opposing keeper. Atlético were missing the injured Fernando Torres and the suspended José Marí and Stankovic, and Javi Moreno was once again disappointing in attack. The only chances came from Navarro and Nagore, but neither were able to beat their opposing defenders when through on goal.

Aragonés brought on Dani at the break, and he went close almost immediately. But Aranguren made an even better change, introducing Ilie a few minutes later, and the Romanian forward scored the only goal of the game three minutes after coming on, running half the length of the pitch to beat Esteban. And Navarro could have added another later on, but he chose to shoot rather than pass to Ilie who was free in front of goal.

The result gives Alavés hope of survival, and with Osasuna and Recre drawing there is now a three way tie to avoid the last two relegation spots. Atlético have now gone eight games without a win, and fans booed off their players at the end. Jesús Gil was not there to see the defeat, but he may well decide to make a managerial change before the end of the season. It would at least take some of the pressure off his own back.