Atlético Madrid - Rcd Espanyol: Sorloth brace and a 4-2 win lift Atleti’s ‘montaña rusa’ before Brujas visit
Atlético Madrid continued its roller-coaster run with a 4-2 victory over Espanyol as the club prepares to host Brujas. The match between atlético madrid - rcd espanyol in LaLiga jornada 25 produced an early shock, a second-half surge and clearer signs of Simeone’s tactical tests ahead of upcoming commitments.
Atlético Madrid - Rcd Espanyol: scorers, scoreline and competition context
Atleti won 4-2 at the Estadio Metropolitano in LaLiga 2025/26. Alexander Sorloth scored twice, Giuliano Simeone and Ademola Lookman also found the net for the home side. Jofre Carreras opened for Espanyol and Edu Expósito reduced the deficit late. The victory marked a return to winning ways for Cholo Simeone’s team after three matches without a league triumph, and it served to keep the club engaged in the fight with Villarreal for the upper spots in the table.
Early shock: Jofre’s opener from a Dolan counter that beat Oblak
The match jolted the Metropolitano inside six minutes when Dolan stole the ball after a misread between Hancko and Griezmann, pushed forward and delivered a low cross to the near post that Jofre Carreras converted with fortune. Jan Oblak had to collect the ball from his net, and the goal — set up by that rapid Espanyol transition — put the visitors 0-1 up and disrupted Atlético’s initial plan for the game.
Simeone’s selection and a midfield experiment with Baena and Cardoso
Diego ‘Cholo’ Simeone chose a largely unchanged, offensively minded starting eleven, pairing Alexander Sorloth and Antoine Griezmann up front while resting Julián. With Mendoza suspended, Simeone tested Víctor Baena alongside Cardoso in midfield as he continued to search for a player who can replicate the role Barrios provides. Those decisions shaped the opening phases as Atlético tried to break down an Espanyol side that used Iván Calero centrally in a five-man defensive block and planned to attack with pace through Jofre and Dolan, waiting for the second half where Espanyol often finds goals.
Turning point: Llorente’s involvement, Sorloth equaliser and the second-half wave
Marcos Llorente played a key role in overturning the early deficit. At 21 minutes he recovered the ball on the right corner and found Sorloth at the second post; Sorloth, the club’s scorer from January, made it 1-1 with what was described as his first goal in February. That equaliser unlocked Atlético: Griezmann grew into the game and added creativity and two close attempts, while Pubill and Ruggeri appeared prominently. Early in the second half Giuliano Simeone profited from a pass by the team’s number 10 to beat Dmitrovic and put Atlético ahead. Four minutes into the second half the hosts had translated growing dominance into the scoreboard; at 58 Ademola Lookman headed home from a Ruggeri cross, and Ruggeri later provided the assist for Sorloth’s second at 72. Espanyol showed some fight when a shot hit the crossbar and later when Edu Expósito scored to make it 2-4 with about ten minutes remaining, but the comeback fell short.
Broader picture: waiting on Brujas, Copa del Rey tie and immediate fixtures
The win also served as a prelude to a scheduled home meeting with the Belgian side Brujas; Atlético carried its “montaña rusa” performance up to the clouds as it looks ahead to that fixture. The club remains involved in multiple fronts: it travels with a 4-0 advantage to Ciudad Condal to manage a Copa del Rey tie with the aim of reaching a final scheduled for April at the Estadio de la Cartuja in Seville against the winner of the Real Sociedad vs Athletic Club tie. The agenda in LaLiga continues immediately — Atlético will visit Real Oviedo next, while Espanyol will travel to Elche. Real Oviedo, noted as struggling in its return to Primera, sits last with 16 points and is six points from safety. There is also mention of an encounter to be played in the Riyadh Air Metropolitano as part of other fixtures tied to Atlético’s season plans.
