Soccer Football - LaLiga - Villarreal v Atletico Madrid - Estadio de la Ceramica, Villarreal, Spain - August 19, 2024 Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez in action with Villarreal's Dani Parejo REUTERS/Pablo Morano
(Reuters) -Atletico Madrid fought back twice to earn a point from an entertaining 2-2 draw at Villarreal in their LaLiga season opener on Monday.
Diego Simeone's Atleti started well and had a Reinildo Mandava goal ruled out for offside, then created a couple of chances with Samuel Lino who was denied by inspired Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Alcoado.
However, it was the locals who scored first when forward Arnaut Danjuma beat defender Axel Witsel to collect a long pass from Alcoado and netted from close range in the 18th minute.
Atletico hit back quickly on the counter-attack two minutes later when Marcos Llorente sped unmarked into the box and unleashed an unstoppable strike into the top corner of the net.
Lino hit the post in the 35th minute and Villarreal took advantage of a bad mistake by Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak when he failed to clear a cross in the 37th minute and the ball deflected off the back of Atletico captain Koke and into the net.
Forward Alexander Sorloth, making his debut for Atletico after an outstanding season for Villarreal as their top scorer, found the equaliser with a towering header six minutes into first-half added time from a Pablo Barrios cross from the right touchline.
In fierce, summer temperatures at La Ceramica on the east coast of Spain, both sides took it easier in the second half and the match lost the relentless intensity it had seen early on.
Neither side got a shot on target after the break, with Villarreal substitute Nicolas Pepe having the best chance from a free kick and hitting the crossbar in the 82nd minute.
It was a lacklustre debut for Argentina forward Julian Alvarez who came off the bench to play the last 15 minutes but had little time to show why Atletico paid Manchester City more than 75 million euros ($83.15 million) for his services.
Atletico will make their home debut on Sunday against last season's surprise package Girona while Villarreal will play their second game of the season at Sevilla on Friday.
($1 = 0.9020 euros)
(Reporting by Fernando Kallas; editing by Clare Fallon)
