MADRID — Atletico Madrid's hopes of a second straight La Liga crown were hanging by a thread Sunday after a 2-0 loss at Celta Vigo that defender Diego Godin blamed on the absence of midfielders Koke, Arda Turan and Raul Garcia. Atletico was a shadow of the side that beat leader Real Madrid 4-0 at the Calderon last weekend and barely threatened the Celta goal in a weak performance that left it seven points behind Real and six adrift of second-placed Barcelona. The excellent Nolito fired Celta ahead with a penalty in the 59th minute at its Balaidos stadium in Galicia and Fabian Orellana made it 2-0 in the 71st to cap a deserved victory. For Atletico, strikers Mario Mandzukic and Fernando Torres toiled fruitlessly, while Antoine Griezmann had its best chance shortly before Orellana's goal but his low strike was tipped onto a post by Celta goalkeeper Sergio Alvarez. It was the first time Atletico had failed to score away in La Liga since a 0-0 draw at city neighbor Rayo Vallecano at the end of August and it sorely missed the injured Koke and suspended Arda and Garcia. Atletico has a home game against Almeria in La Liga next weekend before it travels to Bayer Leverkusen for its Champions League last-16, first leg tie. Villarreal, which is sixth on 41 points, failed to score in an away game for only the second time this season when it was beaten 2-0 at mid-table Rayo Vallecano. Freiburg blanks Hertha Hertha Berlin lost 2-0 at home to Freiburg and promoted Paderborn left both sides in the Bundesliga relegation zone with a 2-1 come-from-behind win at Hannover Sunday. Alban Meha's brilliant 79th-minute free kick lifted Paderborn from second-last to 12th place, two points below Hannover and two above Freiburg in the relegation playoff place. In Berlin earlier, Felix Klaus put the visitors ahead in the 14th, holding off Marvin Plattenhardt to prod Karim Guede's cross in off the post. Guede did well on the right to elude American defender John Anthony Brooks before crossing. Maximilian Philipp made it 2-0 with a flying header to Jonathan Schmid's corner in the 52nd. Juve held Arturo Vidal missed a late penalty as Serie A leader Juventus was dramatically held 2-2 at lowly Cesena Sunday, wasting a chance to pull further clear of AS Roma which drew 0-0 at home to bottom side Parma. Juventus stayed seven points clear of Roma after a torrid evening on Cesena's artificial pitch. — Agencies
