Atletico Madrid stayed in charge of LaLiga's four-way title race by grinding out a 1-0 win at struggling Elche on Saturday but rode their luck to the extreme when the hosts missed a penalty in stoppage time.

Marcos Llorente scored the only goal of the game with a deflected shot in the 23rd minute but gave away the penalty in the 90th for a handball as Atleti defended their slim lead.

Elche midfielder Fidel Chaves took the penalty and his shot beat goalkeeper Jan Oblak but came off the post, throwing Diego Simeone's side a lifeline in the title race and leaving the hosts occupying the final place in the relegation zone in 18th.

The win took Atletico to 76 points with four games left, five clear of second-placed Real Madrid, who host Osasuna later on Saturday, and third-placed Barcelona, who visit Valencia on Sunday. Sevilla, on 70 points, host Athletic Bilbao on Monday. (Reuters)