Atletico Madrid have been reminded of just how challenging this season's La Liga is going to be after falling to fifth place following their first defeat of the season, a 1-0 setback at Sevilla.
So tightly packed is the title race that Sunday's loss has left Diego Simeone's side three points behind leaders Real Madrid, two adrift of second-top Sevilla and one behind Barcelona and Villarreal, who are third and fourth, respectively.
"Sevilla and the other teams that are currently high up in the standings can also fight for the title," Atletico captain Gabi said to Spanish radio Cadena Ser. "They (Sevilla) are headed in the right direction but it's early."
Barca nearly dropped two points against the Valencia side, which is in the lower echelon of the standings but got a late penalty from talisman Lionel Messi.
Villarreal have yet to lose after coming from behind at home against Las Palmas and getting a stoppage-time goal from Cedric Bakambu.
Real were 2-1 winners at home over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.
According to Gabi, a 33-year-old midfielder, there should be no loss of confidence in the Atletico squad. Sevilla had, after all, won all of their previous encounters at the Sanchez Pizjuan stadium this season.
"The team is on the right path," Gabi said. "We just have to continue to improve. "We knew Sevilla's strengths and it was a very level game. We had the right game plan but the team that was more efficient won."
Steven N'Zonzi's second-half goal at the Sanchez Pizjuan stadium ended Atletico's 11-game unbeaten run and five-game winning streak.
"We had three or four chances in the opening half and we didn't make them," Gabi said. "If you are not decisive in these evenly balanced games, then in the end you pay for it.
"We must congratulate Sevilla," he said.
Atletico went into the encounter in Sevilla after Wednesday's 1-0 victory at Rostov in the Champions League but Gabi says his team was not affected by the long trip to Russia.
"We are not a side that finds excuses," he said. "We tried our best and we played as we always do. We just need to move on, stick to this path and aim to win the next game."
Atletico play at home to Malaga on Saturday before hosting Rostov in the Champions League on November 1.
It was always going to be a difficult match for Los Rojiblancos, with Sevilla having won all of their home LaLiga matches so far this campaign, but they made it even more difficult for themselves by wasting some good first half chances and by going down to ten men as they chased the game.
Also detrimental to Los Colchoneros' cause was the fact that on-loan Luciano Vietto was permitted to play against his parent club, as he was the man to feed N'Zonzi for the match-winner.
With the heavy Andalusian rain and soggy pitch speeding up the pace of play, the first half was an intense end-to-end affair.
After just five minutes Kevin Gameiro was tripped at the border of the penalty area by his countryman and former Sevilla teammate Adil Rami, only for Antoine Griezmann's free-kick to deflect off the wall and out for an ultimately harmless corner.
The home fans then shook their umbrellas in anger as they called for a penalty at the other end when Vitolo tumbled to the ground under pressure from Stefan Savic, but the referee waved away the shouts.
Gameiro was then fed through once again for Los Rojiblancos in the 16th minute, this time by Griezmann, but Sergio Rico's outstretched leg denied him a homecoming goal when he seemed set to score.
At that point, perhaps with the pace of the game proving too hectic for Diego Simeone's liking, the visitors put the brakes on and finished the half in control, following a more even and wild opening half an hour.
They should have gone into the interval with a goal to show for their period of dominance, as Angel Correa was presented with the best chance of the half in the 39th minute when a Gameiro headed flick put him one-on-one with Sergio Rico.
But the Argentine fired wide with the outside of his boot, adding to the two sitters he missed in Russia in midweek.
Reenergised by the break, the Andalusians started the second half the better side, with Samir Nasri's low shot bobbling off the post and with Jan Oblak saving Vitolo's close-range volley just after the restart.
Atletico made attacking substitutions in search of a win - with Nico Gaitan and Fernando Torres introduced, along with Tiago Mendes - but could not unpick Sevilla's defensive lock.
They then found themselves behind when N'Zonzi latched on to a beautiful pass from Vietto - who Atletico let leave the Vicente Calderon on loan last summer - before slotting past Oblak in the 73rd minute.
A reckless challenge from Koke just a few minutes later earned the midfielder a second booking and left the capital city side with a mountain to climb, one which they ultimately could not.
- Fact sheet:
- 1 - Sevilla:
- Sergio Rico, Mercado, Nico Pareja, Rami, Mariano, N'Zonzi, Nasri, Escudero, Vitolo, Franco Vazquez (Iborra, m.89), Vietto (Correa, m.90).
- 0 - Atletico Madrid:
- Oblak, Juanfran, Godin, Savic, Filipe Luis, Gabi, Koke, Carrasco (Tiago, m.56), Correa (Nico Gaitan, m.46), Griezman, Gameiro (Fernando Torres, m.66).
- Goal:
- 1-0, m.73: N'Zonzi.
- Referee:
- Juan Martinez Munuera.
- Yellow cards:
- Rami (m.7), N'Zonzi (m.38), Correa (m.42), Gabi (m.44), Nasri (m.45), Koke (m.62 and m.77), Mariano (m.81).
- Red cards:
- Koke (m.77).
- Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, 35,000 spectators.
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