Atletico Madrid continues to stutter over the finish line in the La Liga season 2024/25 after a 0-0 draw at Alaves.
A draw on the road in the Basque Country means that Diego Simeone's side has now won only one of their last three league onions.
They still need a victory in their last four games to mathematically confirm and plan a UEFA Champions League qualifying qualification.
The charges of Simeone should keep the Athletic Club to achieve third place, but they have now only won one of their last six road La Liga matches.
However, things can be worse for Simeone in the burning heat of Vitoria, because Julian Alvarez was sent just before the break.
The Argentina International was shown a straight red card from match referee Juan MartÃnez Munuera after a late challenge on Facundo Garces.
The decision was quickly relegated after a VAR assessment, where Alvarez only handed over a yellow card, one day of frustration for Simeone.
Alvarez enjoys an excellent first season in Madrid, as the most important goal scorer of the club in La Liga and in all competitions, with 15 and 12 respectively scored.
The striker of 27 goal, however, will now miss the incoming home conflict with Real Sociedad on 10 May, even though his resignation is destroyed.
A fifth yellow card of the season makes an automatic La Liga ban with one match and the 25-year-old will sit against La Real, set with Alexander Sorloth to replace it in Simeone's attack.
Alvarez has already established a new personal benchmark, with 2024/25 his best club season ever for scored goals.
He scored 24 goals in the 2021 campaign on River Plate, and the 20 League Doal Mark from that campaign is still in his sights in the last matches of 2024/25.
His last three games of the season include trips to Osasuna and Girona on either side of a last home performance of 2024/25 against Real Betis on May 18.