Late Garcia goal snaps Atleti's unbeaten run
Espanyol brought Atletico Madrid's 20-game unbeaten run in LaLiga to a juddering halt with Sergio Garcia's late strike consigning Diego Simeone's side to a 1-0 defeat.
Second-placed Atletico had not tasted league disappointment since April when it was beaten by Villarreal, but it offered little on a frustrating night for the visitor at RCDE Stadium.
Atleti only created one chance of note throughout the 90 minutes when Kevin Gameiro fired straight at Pau Lopez, while star striker Antoine Griezmann was well below par.
Its poor form going forward was punished in the 88th minute when a brisk Espanyol counter-attack presented a chance for Garcia, the striker making no mistake with a low finish at the back post.
The win lifts Espanyol five points clear of the bottom three, and will delight the Catalan side's neighbour Barcelona.
Barca's six-point lead at the summit remains intact and could be widened further should it beat Real Madrid in El Clasico, while Valencia could move past Atletico should it beat Villarreal.
