Real lose to Mallorca, Barca go top of La Liga, Atletico held

FE Team | Published: October 20, 2019 20:46:52

Bercelona's Luis Suarez celebrating with Lionel Messi after scoring their third goal on Tuesday — AP

MADRID, Oct 20 (AFP): Barcelona sailed back to the top of the table on Saturday and trouble returned to Real Madrid after they endured their first La Liga defeat of the season at newly-promoted Real Mallorca.
Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham and Robinho were in the last Madrid team to lose a league game at San Moix in 2006 and 13 years later, Mallorca repeated the trick thanks to a scintillating strike by Junior Lago in the first half. Alvaro Odriozola allowed Lago too much room to cut inside and was then sent off late on, even if Madrid's attempts at a comeback looked doomed well before they were reduced to 10.
For Real, five games unbeaten and three of them victories had not erased the doubts, but at least seemed to offer evidence Zidane's team were turning a corner.
But Mallorca, who climb to 14th, deserved their triumph in what is their first season back in the top flight since relegation ended a run of 16 consecutive years there in 2013.
Atletico lost ground as they were undone by a late Parejo free-kick at the Wanda Metropolitano, where both sides finished the game with 10 men.
Diego Costa scored a first-half penalty and in a frantic final 10 minutes, Joao Felix limped off, with all three of Diego Simeone's substitutes already used. Parejo struck moments later before Valencia's Lee Kang-in was sent off in injury-time.