Real Madrid certainly didn't do themselves any favors this weekend with a pathetic 2-1 loss to Mallorca, falling victim to the curse of the island with a truly putrid all around display that did not deserve the point that a returning Eder Militao had seemingly rescued for them.
But if Real Madrid were looking to their crosstown rivals Atletico Madrid to spare their blushes by causing current league leaders FC Barcelona to slip up, then they were bound to be disappointed again. Atleti are supposed to be the best team to help Real nick points off Barca in a title race, but, alas, as history has proven, Los Rojiblancos are impossible to trust with this task.
Atleti themselves lost 2-1 to Barcelona, doomed by an early red card to Nicolas Gonzalez in the first half after he scythed down Lamine Yamal just outside the box. And though some Madridistas felt that Gerard Martin should have been reciprocated for a red card of his own after a dangerous tackle, the reality is that the follow through of his "kick" was really the follow through of him kicking the ball; that really shouldn't be a red in a big match like that, and if the call went against Real Madrid, you had better believe Madridistas would be up in arms about that call.
Nico Gonzalez vs. Lamine Yamal? What?
Barcelona cruised to victory after Atleti's red card, as it was only a matter of time before Robert Lewandowski broke the dead lock off the rebound after a number of close Yamal calls. And while Antoine Griezmann screwed up a couple of golden opportunities of his own in the first half, it there's one man Real Madrid fans will want to blame for Atleti failing to get a point off Barcelona this weekend, then it is none other than the head master of the Dark Arts himself, Diego Simeone.
Maybe it is exaggerating to say that one decision lost Atleti the game, but that red card from Nico Gonzalez on Lamine Yamal was just as much a Simeone blunder as it was an error from the Argentinian international.
Putting a tricky winger as a fullback man marking Yamal is idiocy beyond belief, and it defies logic that the highest paid manager in La Liga and one of the best coaches of the last 15 years would make such a decision. But Nico was left exposed against the best player in the world, tormented until he obviously broke and had to make an unbelievably rash challenge that cost Atleti the game.
It was this mind numbingly bizarre tactical error that put Atletico Madrid in a hole they were always bound to be in. The refs made the calls they had to make. Atleti lost this game as a result of bad decisions until they wre overpowered, and now Barcelona are a commanding seven points ahead.