REAL Madrid dropped its first points under coach Zinedine Zidane in a 1-1 draw at Real Betis on Sunday, while Atletico Madrid failed to regain the Spanish league lead from Barcelona after finishing goalless against 10-man Sevilla.

    Madrid could only muster a second-half goal by Karim Benzema to cancel out Alvaro Cejudo’s stunner. Despite seeing his team fall four points adrift of the pace-setting pair, Zidane tried to be upbeat about Madrid’s performance and prospects.

    “We dropped two points, that is the negative part, but there were positive things too. And we have to think we can overcome, this because the league is very long,” Zidane said. “We deserved much more from the game we played. We were unlucky.”

    Barcelona emerged as the big beneficiary of the weekend after Atletico’s stumble left it ahead on goal difference thanks to Saturday’s 2-1 win at Malaga. The title-holders will also have a game in hand after they host Atletico next weekend in a highly anticipated meeting between the last two league champions.

    Zidane had overseen two lopsided wins in the comfort of Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium since taking over from the much-maligned Rafa Benitez.

    But Madrid’s slip in Seville showed that it will take more than a change of coach to remedy its ills on the road, where it has now won just four of its 10 league games this season.

    Betis, which returned to the topflight this season, was winless in 10 matches across all competitions and lost 5-0 to Madrid the last time they visited two seasons ago.

    But a brilliant goal from Cejudo, some fine goalkeeping from former Madrid goalie Antonio Adan, and Madrid’s own lack of a finishing touch added up to another setback for the powerhouse.

    “Many things have to go right for you to take a point from Madrid. You have to make the most of your scoring chances and hope that they don’t have a good day,” said Betis manager Juan Merino.

    (SD-Agencies)