Atlético Madrid - Rcd Espanyol: Atleti turn a 0-1 shock into a 4-2 win at the Metropolitano
In a late-winding encounter at the Metropolitano, atlético madrid - rcd espanyol finished 4-2 after an early Espanyol strike left the home crowd stunned; Alexander Sorloth (two), Giuliano Simeone and Ademola Lookman completed the comeback while Jofre Carreras and Edu Expósito scored for the visitors.
Early shock at the Metropolitano
Not even six minutes had passed when Jofre Carreras opened the scoring for Espanyol with a swift counter that began after a miscue between Hancko and Antoine Griezmann; Dolan stole the ball, ran onto it and sent a cross to the near post that Jofre finished, the ball deflecting off an Atlético player before crossing the line to make it 0-1.
Atlético Madrid - Rcd Espanyol: the turnaround
At 21 minutes, Alexander Sorloth levelled after a powerful Juanfran-style delivery from Marcos Llorente that found the Norwegian at the far post; Sorloth got the ball on his left and scored to make it 1-1. Four minutes into the second half, Giuliano Simeone turned the game with a one-touch finish that beat goalkeeper Dmitrovic and put Atlético ahead 2-1.
Headers, assists and a late reply
Ademola Lookman extended the lead with a header at 58 minutes from a Ruggeri cross, and Ruggeri later set up Sorloth again for the 4-1 goal at 72 minutes. Espanyol fought back late: Edu Expósito reduced the deficit with a goal about ten minutes from the end to make it 4-2, but that strike was not enough to change the outcome.
Lineups, roles and in-game adjustments
Diego Simeone began with a very attacking eleven, keeping Sorloth and Griezmann up front and giving a rest to Julián. In midfield Simeone tested a pairing to try to replace the role Barrios plays, and, with Mendoza suspended, he tried Baena alongside Cardoso. Espanyol set Calero at the center of a five-man back line to invite quick attacks through Jofre and Dolan while defending for a second-half payoff.
Atletico’s goalkeeper Jan Oblak was forced to collect the ball from his net early, and Espanyol goalkeeper Dmitrovic later conceded when Giuliano finished one of the team’s right-side moves. Pubill and Llorente were important carriers for Espanyol and Atlético respectively; Pubill supplied balls to Lookman in the first half and Llorente’s carry and corner delivery led directly to Sorloth’s equaliser.
Standings, immediate consequences and what’s next
The win returned Atlético to victory in LaLiga after three matches without a win, and the Estadio Metropolitano felt a satisfaction that helps keep pace with Villarreal in the fight for the league’s top positions; Atlético are listed as fourth and are battling Villarreal for places for the UEFA Champions League. Espanyol, meanwhile, remain without a league win in two months before the year-end break.
Atlético now has a domestic cup and league calendar to manage: the club heads into a period that includes a cup tie played at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano and a Copa del Rey run in which Atlético travel to Ciudad Condal holding a 4-0 advantage, with the domestic final scheduled for April at the Estadio de la Cartuja in Sevilla against the winner of the Real Sociedad vs Athletic Club tie. On the league front, Atlético will visit Real Oviedo next; Real Oviedo sit last in their return to Primera with 16 points, six from safety. Espanyol travel to Elche in their next LaLiga fixture.
