MADRID — Atletico Madrid continues to struggle as they seek a solution to their ongoing poor performance.


Following a disappointing home defeat to Lille in the Champions League, the team suffered another setback, this time a 1-0 loss against Real Betis in the Spanish league this past Sunday.


The game was decided by an unfortunate own-goal from defender José María Giménez, who redirected the ball into his own net just under five minutes into play, marking Atletico’s second consecutive defeat.


In recent matches, the club has only managed to achieve one victory from their last six across all competitions, which was a 3-1 win against Leganés in the domestic league last weekend. Prior to that, they had drawn at home against rivals Real Madrid and away at Real Sociedad, along with a heavy 4-1 loss at Benfica during the Champions League.


“We understand what needs to be done and what areas require improvement,” said head coach Diego Simeone. “It’s evident that success in soccer comes from hard work, and when a team is unable to find their rhythm, they inevitably encounter difficulties.”


Despite their current struggles, Atletico had managed to remain unbeaten for 11 consecutive league matches prior to the defeat in Seville.


“We weren’t able to showcase our preferred style of play today,” Simeone remarked. “The other team made a strong start and was fortunate enough to score early.”


The own-goal by Giménez occurred as he attempted to clear a low cross within the penalty area during the fourth minute at the Benito Villamarín Stadium.


This result leaves Atletico Madrid in fourth place, just one point shy of third place Villarreal and four points behind their city rival Real Madrid, who faced a heavy 4-0 loss to Barcelona in a Saturday clasico.


Atletico now trails league leaders Barcelona by ten points following their eleventh round of fixtures.


On the other hand, Real Betis climbed into fifth place and sits just two points behind Atletico. Under the guidance of Manuel Pellegrini, Betis has enjoyed five victories in their last eight league matches, two of which came in their last three outings.


This win against Atletico marked only Betis’ second home victory against their rivals in the last 16 league encounters, with their previous win occurring in 2019.


In other matches, Osasuna, currently in sixth place, secured a 2-0 win at Real Sociedad with both goals scored in the first half, ending their own two-match winless streak. This defeat leaves Sociedad in 12th place.


Leganés also celebrated success, earning a 3-0 victory against Celta Vigo with three goals in the second half. Meanwhile, Getafe salvaged a last-minute equalizer, resulting in a 1-1 draw at home against bottom-placed Valencia, who are now on a five-match winless streak.