Espanyol pulled off a stunning late rally to secure a 2-1 victory against Atletico Madrid on Sunday, marking a disappointing start for Diego Simeone’s squad in their La Liga journey.
Pere Milla netted a late winning goal, leading to Atletico’s downfall in Barcelona, despite Julian Alvarez’s earlier spectacular goal.
Atletico has been active in the transfer market, bringing in players like Alex Baena, David Hancko, Johnny Cardoso, and Giacomo Raspadori, aiming to compete with Barcelona and Real Madrid for the championship.
Departures of Angel Correa, Rodrigo De Paul, and Cesar Azpilicueta were part of a team overhaul after finishing third, trailing 12 points behind last season’s champions, Barcelona.
“The result is painful. We need to be more decisive; Julián had a chance that could have been a goal following a great team play,” remarked Simeone.
Barcelona began their title defense with a 3-0 triumph over Mallorca on Saturday, while Real Madrid is set to face Osasuna on Tuesday.
Slovakian defender Hancko had the prime opportunity in a cautious first half-hour for Atletico, but his header was easily saved by Espanyol’s Marko Dmitrovic.
Atletico took a spectacular lead in the 37th minute when Alvarez curled a free-kick into the top corner, well out of Dmitrovic’s reach.
Alvarez nearly extended Atletico’s lead just before the hour, hitting the post with a powerful shot.
Espanyol equalized 17 minutes from the end as Miguel Rubio scored from a set-piece.
Substitute Milla sealed the comeback, heading in Omar El Hilali’s cross in the 84th minute to clinch all three points for Espanyol.
“Football is incredible; they scored from a set piece to make it 1-1, then 2-1, leaving us with no points,” Simeone commented.
Athletic Bilbao began the season with a thrilling 3-2 win over Sevilla, thanks to substitute Robert Navarro’s late goal.
Nico Williams’ penalty and Maroan Sannadi’s goal gave the Basque side a comfortable lead at halftime at San Mames.
Dodi Lukebakio reduced the deficit with a goal off the post, and Lucien Agoume equalized for Sevilla with 18 minutes left.
However, Navarro decided the match in the 81st minute, giving Bilbao a strong start as they aim to build on last season’s fourth-place finish and Champions League qualification.
