Atletico Madrid stunned by Espanyol in La Liga opener | OneFootball

Atletico Madrid were off to the worst possible start in La Liga 2025/26 after suffering a 2-1 defeat against Espanyol.

All eyes were on Los Rojiblancos on the back of an impressive spending spree, but those expectations were put paid to in their league opener last night.

Atletico broke the deadlock in the 37th minute following an outstanding free kick from Julian Alvarez, who had picked up from where he left last season.

The visitors dominated the game for long spells and could have doubled the lead following a swift interplay before Alvarez’s final shot hit the woodwork.

While Atletico hoped that three points were a mere formality, the hosts turned the game on its head in the final quarter.

Miguel Rubio sneaked behind Atletico’s defence to score a header off a free kick to equalise.

And in no time, Pere Milla netted another exquisite header off Omar El Hilali’s cross to complete a stunning comeback victory.

Espanyol deserved to claim the victory after soaking in the pressure for much of the game with their tight defending and punishing the Colchoneros for their defensive lapses.

On the other hand, Atletico have hit a stumbling block in their quest to challenge for the league title with a revamped squad, having failed to win a major silverware since 2021.

Manager Diego Simeone accepted the blame for the defeat and stated it was an early wake-up call to bounce back stronger this season.

New signings Johnny Cardoso, Matteo Ruggeri and Thiago Almada looked solid in their league debut and will be hoping to make a significant impact in future.

Except for Alvarez, Atletico’s attack was rather underwhelming, and Simeone will be looking to fix it ahead of their next game against Elche.