Diego Costa on target as Atletico Madrid held to a draw by Athletic Bilbao in La Liga return

Striker levels for Simeone's side two minutes after Muniain opens the scoring

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  Atletico Madrid forward Diego Costa makes the score 1-1 against Athletic Bilbao at the San Mames Stadium, on Sunday, June 14. EPA

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  Athletic Bilbao's Yerai Alvarez, right, and Saul Niguez of Athletic Bilbao battle for the ball. EPA

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  Athletic Bilbao forward Iker Muniain celebrates after giving his side the lead against Atletico. AFP

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  Athletic Bilbao's Iker Muniain celebrates with teammates after scoring. AFP

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  Athletic Bilbao's Iker Muniain, second left, beats Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak to open the scoring. EPA

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  Atletico Madrid's Diego Costa, right, celebrates with teammates. AFP

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  Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone. AFP

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  Diego Costa celebrates his goal by holding up a shirt baring the name and number of Virginia Torrecilla - a midfielder for their women's team - who had surgery for a brain tumour. AFP

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  Diego Costa scoring for Atletico Madrid. Getty

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  Empty stands at the San Mames Stadium. EPA

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  Athletic Bilbao's Iker Muniain Koke of Atletico Madrid lay flowers in the stand in memory of the victims of Covid-19. Getty

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  Players observe a minute of silence for coronavirus before the match. AFP

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  An Athletic Bilbao staff member wears a protective face mask. EPA

How long does it take to come back to earth after a night like Atletico Madrid’s at Anfield?

That astonishing 3-2 win, coming from behind in extra time, to eliminate probably the strongest club side on earth from the Champions League took place more than three months ago.

Atletico's players could be forgiven if they had wanted to relive the drama every day of the often alarming, sometimes lonely period since.

Atletico’s first fixture after the miracle on Merseyside reminded them that, though so many aspects of life have altered since early March, the professional challenges this warrior club are facing have not.

They can look forward to being in the last eight of the European Cup if and when that resumes, but in the meantime they have a struggle to guarantee taking part in it next season.

Their 1-1 draw with Athletic Bilbao at a San Mames as quiet, without any spectators, as Anfield had been raucous leaves Diego Simeone’s side still needing to catch up if they are to finish La Liga in the top four.

Atletico remain sixth in the table. They were competitive in Bilbao but could scarcely complain about the outcome, having fallen behind to an Iker Muniain goal for a deserving Athletic. Diego Costa equalised within a couple of minutes.

Neither team were timid on their Restart Day. Both tend to put a high value on ruggedness.

Athletic’s Raul Garcia, whose combative midfield work once made him such an appreciated footballer at Atletico, imposed himself on his former team with characteristic vigour.

He was involved in a pair of thumping challenges with Renan Lodi, the Atletico full-back, before five minutes were on the clock.

The tone had been set. “It was a game where strength was always important,” reflected Koke, the Atletico captain, afterwards.

No shyness either, in the tackle with which Muniain brought down Thomas Partey.

From the free-kick, Koke launched a deep cross, Jose Gimenez heading it narrowly wide.

No prizes for guessing what Simone’s Atletico have been thinking about and practising hard during the months of closedown: Set-pieces, a club speciality.

Their expertise with dead ball scenarios will soon come under special scrutiny, though, because Simeone’s long-term deputy, German ‘Mono’ Burgos, has announced he wants to pursue a managerial career.

Burgos has been the architect of Atletico’s set-piece strategies for as long as the current group of players can remember.

Athletic defended a series of early corners well enough, but were alarmed when Yannick Carrasco angled a bobbling drive just the wrong side of Unai Simon’s right post.

Carrasco, who began his second spell with Atletico on loan from Dalian Yifang in January, looked like a man who has benefited from the season being extended. He had a lively first-half.

Atletico would end the half pleased to be on equal terms, because Athletic hinted, after 20 minutes or so, at taking control. Inaki Williams, meeting a cross, drew a good save from Jan Oblak.

Yeray’s backward header, after Muniain whipped in a super pass, then obliged Oblak to make a breathtaking stretch to, one-handed, palm the effort away.

The pressure kept up, and Muniain, first to Yuri Berchiche’s cut-back, volleyed past Oblak to give Athletic the lead.

Simeone was furious. Atletico had lost possession twice in the build-up to the goal.

It was the sort of carelessness that has been conspicuous in some of the elite football played over the last month in Germany and in Spain, a symptom perhaps of the long break in training and match routines.

But Atletico pride themselves on their discipline in their own half of the field; they seldom expect to dominate possession, so they are drilled to be protective of it when they do have the ball.

Happily for Simeone, Athletic were not immune to unforced errors either.

Within two minutes, Yeray gave away the ball, opening up a path for Koke to thread a pass to Costa, who, using all his guile, slithered between two defenders, ball teed up for him with just Simon to beat.

Costa mastered the duel, and, in a gesture Atletico supporters and indeed many Spaniards would have applauded in front of their televisions, paid tribute to his Atletico colleague Virginia Torrecilla.

The striker, an icon in the Spain women’s team, underwent surgery on a brain tumour last month.

Immediately after scoring Diego Costa fetched an Atletico jersey bearing the name Virginia from the side of the pitch and displayed it.

Costa’s work was done by early in the second half, Alvaro Morata replacing him, and, with 22 minutes to go, Simeone had used four of his five substitutions.

Two of the newcomers came closest to winning the contest. Angel Correa stung Simon’s palms with a fierce shot, the goalkeeper pushing the ball directly into the path of Santiago Arias.

The Athletic gloveman then made immediate amends by saving brilliantly from Arias. Thus had Simon kept Simeone frustrated.