A mercurial Atlético de Madrid prolongs Espanyol's nightmare

BarcelonaThere's no way Espanyol can take flight. Despite a strong performance on the pitch, befitting a Champions League team, with an early goal, the Blanquiazules suffered another defeat (4-2) and have accumulated just two points out of a possible 24 in 2026. A version low cost from Atlético de Madrid that thrashed BarçaA brilliant second half, with Sorloth as the star, was enough to crush the spirits of Espanyol, who had hoped the point against Celta would set them free. Well, no, even though things quickly turned in their favor. Manolo González's main obsession was to keep a clean sheet again – the last time he achieved it was... December 13—which is why at the Metropolitano he included Riedel in the starting eleven and opted for a five-man defense; without Expósito, with a more combative than imaginative midfield, and with Kike García leading the line instead of Roberto. The initial game plan was clear: protect, try to win the ball back, and launch attacks with the speed of Dolan and Jofre.

Espanyol's Rise and Fall

Not even six minutes of the match had been played when Dolan He recovered a ball that Pol Lozano, with surgical precision, played into space for the English winger to assist Jofre, who somehow managed to tap it into the net. It was impossible to ask for a better start against an Atlético de Madrid side that had been inconsistent – ​​coming off impressive performances in the Cup but only managing a single point in La Liga – without Julián Álvarez but with Lookman and a more established starting eleven than expected, with one eye on next Tuesday's Champions League tie.

Aware that Espanyol always prioritizes level-headedness over impulsiveness when playing away, and that their coach believes that monotony brings greater success, the Galician's next instruction was to avoid any major incidents and ensure that no one made a mistake. No news good newsThat's why he was furious when he saw Kike lose the ball in a dangerous area, which Llorente turned into an assist for Sorloth. It was the 21st minute, and Espanyol had conceded for the ninth consecutive match. It was also Atlético's first goal in their last four league games.

Atlético Festival

The story was starting all over again, with a script Griezmann wanted to rewrite. The omnipresent Frenchman became the main threat to the Espanyol side, who were effectively neutralized by Álex Baena. At the start of the second half, the Andalusian striker justified the €42 million Atlético Madrid paid for him last summer by conjuring up a delightful pass to Giuliano, who scored the winning goal. Ten minutes later, Lookman gave his team some breathing room with a header on the line from a well-executed set piece by Simeone's men; and Sorloth himself, after hitting the post himself and Ngonge, sealed the rout with a textbook header from a Ruggeri cross. Espanyol, who were virtually invisible in the second half, only managed to make things look better with Expósito's goal to make it 4-2. Even so, and despite the quality of the opponent, the manner of the defeat, conceding four goals, raises serious concerns: if there isn't a reaction soon, the league season will be very long.