Atlético Madrid kept dropping points at the start of the season, held to a 2-2 draw by visitors Villarreal in a thrilling match at the Wanda Metropolitano. It had everything: two penalties, a red card and a striking display from the away side, who carried the greater threat for long spells.
Tension hung over Atlético heading into the match, with the controversy around the future of Argentine Julián Álvarez rumbling on and the team still wrestling with a disrupted pre-season after the World Cup. Three consecutive away trips loom too, against Sevilla, Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad.
Villarreal signalled early that they would be no pushovers. Nicolas Pépé nearly put them ahead when he got past Grimaldo and slid the ball into the box, only for Marc Pubill to intervene at just the right moment and deny Mikautadze.
As the first half wore on, Villarreal looked the sharper and more purposeful side in attack. Atlético, by contrast, laboured and lacked the final touch to unlock their opponents' defence.
Ayoze threatened Jan Oblak's goal before the Slovenian stopper beat away a powerful strike from Mikautadze. The first half ended goalless.
Nothing changed after the break. Villarreal kept the pressure on while Atlético struggled to fashion anything, and Mikautadze nearly broke the deadlock when he found himself one-on-one with Oblak, who again rescued his side.
Then came the first twist. On 58 minutes the ball dropped to Marc Pubill on the edge of the box, and the young defender lashed a left-footed shot into the top corner. It was a superb strike, and it put Atlético ahead.
Their lead barely lasted. Villarreal won a penalty when Hjulmand lost the ball on the edge of his own area, handing Gerard Moreno the chance to level. He tucked it away.
Worse followed for Atlético. Referee Hernández Hernández pointed to the spot again after a VAR review of a coming-together between Le Normand and Mikautadze, then dismissed the Atlético defender, reducing the hosts to ten men.
Mikautadze made no mistake from the spot. Villarreal led, and Atlético faced enormous pressure with the clock running down.
Even with Julián Álvarez on the pitch, Atlético could not take control. Up popped Giuliano Simeone, the man they have come to lean on, latching onto a well-weighted through ball to fire home the equaliser.
Atlético threw everything at snatching a winner in the closing stages, buoyed by Giuliano's strike, but Villarreal held firm to the final whistle. Both sides took a point, and the match laid bare once more the problems dogging Atlético this early in the season.