Atletico Madrid vs. Sevilla: Winners and Losers from La Liga
Atletico Madrid missed a chance to return to the top of the table in La Liga following a scoreless draw at home to 10-man Sevilla on Sunday.
The hosts dominated possession but could not find a way past Sevilla's organized defensive ranks and Sergio Rico, who starred in goal.
Vitolo saw red midway through the second half after picking up his second yellow card, but Sevilla rallied in his absence, keeping Atletico at bay after manager Unai Emery was sent to the stands as well.
The result left Atletico in second place on goal difference behind Barcelona, who have played one fewer match. Sevilla remained seventh.
Here, Bleacher Report selects winners and losers from the match.
Winner: Sergio Rico
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Rico's tally of three saves does not sound especially impressive, but the Sevilla goalkeeper was busy throughout the match. He answered the call with a solid performance, earning his side a point.
Sevilla did well to limit Atletico's attacking chances, but the hosts still managed to carve out a few openings. Nearly every time, however, Rico was on hand to avert any danger.
In the 69th minute, Gabi slotted a short free kick to Yannick Carrasco, who tried a shot from a tight angle. Rico deflected the ball off target.
Eight minutes from time, with Atletico ramping up the pressure, Gabi powered in a shot from 20 yards out. Rico read the trajectory of the ball well and parried to keep his side level.
Four minutes later, Rico came off his line bravely to smother the ball as Angel Correa advanced on goal. Rico took a leg to the face but made the save.
The only time Rico was beaten, by an Antoine Griezmann header, the post came to his rescue. All in all, it was a good day for the Spanish goalkeeper.
Loser: Vitolo
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Vitolo drew a red card in the 61st minute after felling Luciano Vietto near the edge of Sevilla's box. He had already been booked for a challenge in the first half, and the referee had no choice but to send him off.
Sevilla held out with 10 men, frustrating Atletico with organized defending and a physical approach that must have looked familiar to the hosts. That meant Vitolo's dismissal didn't cost his team as a result, but it did put the visitors under extra pressure for 30 minutes.
Winner: Sevilla's Away Record
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Sunday's draw meant Sevilla remained winless this season on their travels in La Liga. That's an astoundingly poor record, but this is a good result when taken in context.
After being reduced to 10 men, the visitors' prospects looked bleak. But a determined performance produced a creditable draw, and this point could give Emery a platform on which to build a sustained challenge for a European place.
Loser: Atletico Conceding Ground in the Title Race
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As bleak as Sevilla's chances appeared on Sunday, Atletico's own prospects for the game were correspondingly bright. The hosts entered the day on a 12-match unbeaten run against Sevilla and had kept eight clean sheets in their last 10 Liga outings.
That clean-sheet streak continued, but this draw can only be seen as two points dropped for manager Diego Simeone's men. As previously mentioned, Sevilla have not won on their travels this season, so Atletico must have fancied their chances to win.
And the stats certainly suggested that Atleti were the more dangerous side, with 70 percent of possession and 21 shots to Sevilla's seven (h/t ESPN FC). But clear chances were scarce, and a goal would have been extremely harsh on the visitors.
So the real beneficiaries of the result are Atletico's title rivals, especially Barcelona, who stayed atop the table and now have a game in hand. Real Madrid, who play at Real Betis later Sunday, can close the gap on Atletico to two points.
Winners: Adil Rami and Daniel Carrico
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In addition to Rico, Sevilla benefited from good performances from several defensive players. Grzegorz Krychowiak shielded the back four expertly, and center-backs Adil Rami and Daniel Carrico formed a brick wall that Atletico largely failed to penetrate.
Per WhoScored.com, the latter duo combined for seven interceptions and 11 clearances. With Rico on form behind them, it was no surprise Sevilla kept a clean sheet.
