Atletico Madrid's away struggles hit a new low Sunday when it lost 4-2 at Espanyol in the Spanish league. Under coach Gregorio Manzano, Atletico has won just once in 11 away games in all competitions, including a 2-1 defeat at third-tier Albacete in the Copa del Rey earlier this week. “We have to take a hard look at why we are not able to play well away from home,” a perplexed Manzano said after the game. “It is something that concerns me very much.” Playmaker Joan Verdu quickly put Espanyol ahead 2-0 with a pair of well-placed long strikes in the fifth and seventh minutes. Midfielder Ndri Romaric intercepted Atletico goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois' poor pass and laid off for Verdu to blast the ball from outside the area to open the scoring. The former Barcelona youth product then took advantage of Atletico's passive defense to shoot into the left corner of the net and double the score. Romaric added a third for the host in the 19th after a slick one-two passing combination with Sergio Garcia left him free in the area. Striker Radamel Falcao pulled one back for Atletico in the 32nd with his ninth goal of season, but Garcia burst through Atletico's defense to make the game safe in the 54th. Only Courtois' goalkeeping down the stretch saved Atletico from a greater loss, before Arda Turan reduced the final deficit with a goal in the 83rd. Espanyol's first win in six games kept it in eighth place, one point ahead of Atletico, which has earned just one point away from Vicente Calderon stadium this season. In other games Malaga salvaged a 1-1 home draw against Osasuna; Racing Santander snatched a 1-1 draw at Athletic Bilbao; Getafe edged Granada 1-0; Sporting Gijon won 3-1 at Rayo Vallecano; Real Sociedad drew 1-1 at Villarreal; and Mallorca got its first away win of the season as it beat last-place Zaragoza 1-0.
