Atlético Madrid Vs Espanyol — Sorloth leads comeback; atlético madrid vs espanyol at the Metropolitano
In a 4-2 La Liga victory on Saturday night, Atlético Madrid recovered from an early deficit to beat Espanyol, with Sorloth scoring Atlético's first and last goals in a game that left coach Diego Simeone praising a "great team effort. " The match, an example of the turnaround Simeone wanted, featured key moments at the Metropolitano.
Atlético Madrid Vs Espanyol report
Espanyol took the lead just six minutes in when Tyrhys Dolan was released down the right and bent a low cross into the box. Marcos Llorente's attempted clearance struck Jofre Carreras, who bundled the ball into the net. Fifteen minutes later Sorloth pulled Atlético level, meeting Llorente's cross with a first-time finish from the edge of the six-yard box, and his goals would ultimately deliver the three points.
Early setback and equaliser
Atletico were carved open early, but Sorloth’s finishing after 15 minutes restored parity and shifted momentum. The hosts piled on the pressure at the Metropolitano after that, seeking to impose their game on Espanyol.
Second-half surge at Metropolitano
It took until the 49th minute for Atlético to go in front, when Giuliano Simeone finished off a lovely team move by slotting through Marko Dmitrovic's legs. The advantage grew in the 58th minute when an unmarked Ademola Lookman met Matteo Ruggeri's whipped cross with a fine diving header.
Sorloth’s brace and near misses
Sorloth struck the foot of the post before Cyril Ngonge's looping effort at the other end hit the bar. Soon after the Norwegian converted again with a header that came off the inside of the upright, completing Atlético's fourth. Edu Exposito later pulled one back for Espanyol when his shot deflected beyond Jan Oblak after Atlético failed to deal with the corner, but that goal did not spark a late turnaround.
Simeone praises great team effort
After the match Simeone spoke about his team’s campaign and the performance: "We’re competing well in the Champions League and the Copa del Rey, " an optimistic Simeone insisted. "We’re far from the top in the league, but we’re trying not to slow down so we can finish as high as possible. … I’m very happy with what the squad is doing at the moment. "
On the match itself he said: "There were many good things. We started losing, but that didn’t upset the team; they kept looking for the game we wanted. We were in control throughout the match. The team’s overall performance gave us the chance to play the game we wanted to play. It was an important, necessary victory, especially in the league, and a great team effort. "
Simeone also referenced the upcoming European challenge and the need to manage energy levels: "It’s always important to win before an important match like Tuesday’s. From what I saw in Brugge’s line-up, they’ve played with quite a few substitutes in their league, they’ll have fresh players, it’s at 6: 45 p. m. and we’ll have to be the same. " He added, "I hope people understand how important it is for the players’ energy levels to be high. "
On preparations and support Simeone said, "I’m not here to ask for anything at all. I’m grateful. I just ask that they understand our need for energy and that they give us energy. " He praised an individual's development: "He went from strength to strength, gradually finding himself in situations that he’s good at, which is why he’s at Atlético. We need him to be like he was from the start of the match until he evolved in terms of aggression, intensity, team play, taking the ball to the other side… He had a very good match, which makes us happy because we need the best from him. "
Reflecting on the goals and key moments Simeone said: "Their first goal was a combination of luck and our misinterpretation of how to defend it; on the second, Oblak didn’t see the ball coming out. Then there was the crossbar. Those were the three that attacked. " He also spoke about team roles and a specific player: "Without a doubt. He was happy after the match, he knew he had put in the kind of performance we need from him, hard work, vision, playing collectively, making plays. We put him in the middle, almost in a double pivot or as an inside forward so he could link up with Johnny, and they did very well. He gave Giuliano a fantastic assist, typical of a player who knows and sees. We need the Baena we saw today. "
On one player’s near-miss Simeone added: "That’s football. That’s the wonderful thing about football. Before we started, I said to him, ‘The other day you played 15 minutes and had three chances to score, ‘ and I said something else a bit more rude. That’s what we need. He had a spectacular game. It’s a shame he didn’t score the third, because (that shot off the post after he held off two defenders) was even better than the previous two. "
Separately, one short item in the materials read "Just a moment... " and Atlético de Madrid posted "ATLÉTICO DE MADRID ❤️🤍" on February 21, 2026.
The final scoreline left Atlético with three points from a 4-2 home win in La Liga over Espanyol, a result Simeone underlined as important ahead of the club’s next commitments.
