Atlético de Madrid remained undefeated in their LaLiga matchday by beating Espanyol 1‑0 at the RCDE Stadium, thanks to a goal from Álex Baena in the 89th minute. The victory, which extended the winning streak of the team led by Diego Simeone to six consecutive games, included a victory in the Champions League against Manchester United, and left Espanyol coach, Manolo González, with a feeling of frustration at the forcefulness of the result.
The match began with clear dominance by Atlético, who soon closed the goal of the Fortuñista goalkeeper, Fortuño. In the first minutes, Espanyol forward Kang-In Lee fired a high shot after a drop shot from Jonathan David, and David himself also managed a shot close to the 5th minute, although without scoring. Espanyol's defense, made up of five players, was unable to generate concrete opportunities, except for a header from Bryan Zaragoza that caused an "oh" from the stands. Atlético, for its part, showed an offensive game with attempts by Kang-In and Giuliano, both neutralized by the solidity of Fortuño.
The first half ended goalless, with the only highlight being a shot by Jonathan David that barely touched the crossbar and a shot by Cabrera that also missed the crossbar. After the break, Simeone made tactical changes, replacing Dani Martínez and Lookman with Grimaldo and Julián, and in the second half he introduced Llorente in place of Barrios, who was recovering from a myofascial injury. The visiting team continued to press, but without achieving success.
The goal came when Baena, who had been introduced as a substitute, took advantage of an opportunity in the 89th minute to place the ball inside the goal with a precise shot with his right leg. The goal was enough to secure the victory and maintain Atlético's winning streak in LaLiga. The result also marked the team's second consecutive victory in the Champions League, reinforcing its position in European competition.
Espanyol, for its part, had a performance marked by a lack of opportunities and defense that allowed Atlético to maintain its dominance. Coach González, who had praised Fortuño's “excellent game” for Málaga, was forced to withdraw the players Drkusic and Hinojo in the 64th minute for performance reasons. Despite the team's efforts, the final result left Espanyol with a feeling of “more affected than ever” and the need to review its strategy for the next day.