Sørloth's Night, Four Goals of Revival – Espanyol Match Review

A 6th-Minute Concession — Carreras' Run and Llorente's Blind Spot

The 56,412 supporters packed into the Riyadh Air Metropolitano were silenced just six minutes in.

Espanyol had been expected to sit deep in a 5-4-1 low block. Instead, space opened up almost immediately down Atlético's left flank. Tyrhys Dolan burst down the right and delivered a low cross into the penalty area, and Jofre Carreras darted in behind Llorente to prod the ball home from close range. The timing of Carreras' run was impeccable — Llorente was completely blindsided.

In his post-match press conference, Simeone reflected: "There was luck involved, combined with a defensive misjudgement." The luck, presumably, belonged to Espanyol. But to dismiss Carreras' perfectly timed sprint as mere fortune would be generous — it was simply too precise.

21st Minute — Llorente's Redemption and Sørloth's Left-Footed Strike

Fifteen minutes later, Llorente made amends.

Espanyol lost possession near their own penalty area, and Atlético transitioned quickly. Llorente drifted to the right and picked out Sørloth's run to the far post with a pinpoint cross. Sørloth met it first time with his left foot and steered it into the net. 1-1.

It was hardly an intricate team move. The goal emerged from a scrappy transition — Llorente's quick thinking linking up with Sørloth's sharp instincts. But that was fine. Winning ugly over winning beautifully. That is the philosophy Simeone has championed for over a decade.

Griezmann's First Half — The Beauty of His Touch, the Frustration of His Finishing

No Atlético player was involved in more chances during the first half than Griezmann. Deployed as an inside midfielder, he operated from deep positions to orchestrate the build-up while also contributing to the high press off the ball.

In the 10th minute, he collected a pass from Baena and fired with his left foot, only for Dmitrović to produce a fine save. In the 33rd, he met a Baena cross with a header — again repelled by Dmitrović. His 39th-minute left-footed effort met the same fate. Then, in the 27th minute, he received a through ball from Pubill, cushioned it with a sublime first touch, and struck with his left foot — this time drifting just wide of the post. The quality of that control was genuinely beautiful. Under pressure, with no hint of panic, he let the ball settle against his foot as if it were magnetised — a moment that distilled everything about Griezmann's technique and decision-making.

His ratings told a split story: ItC 6, FotMob 7.6. But four clear-cut chances without a goal — nobody will be more frustrated than Griezmann himself. Without Dmitrović's heroics, a first-half brace would have been entirely plausible.

Four Minutes into the Second Half — Baena's Assist and G. Simeone's Emotion

The team that emerged for the second half was a different animal. From the restart, Atlético launched a coordinated high press that suffocated Espanyol, forcing them into a succession of aimless long balls. Sørloth directed the press vocally from the front line, with Baena and Cardoso responding in tandem to tighten the midfield net. Sørloth played the full 90 minutes, contributing at both ends of the pitch with a quality that has been arguably his best this season.

In the 49th minute, the pressure paid off. Baena threaded a delicate short pass through a crowded penalty area, and G. Simeone collected it before coolly slotting through Dmitrović's legs. 2-1.

Baena's performance was a tale of two halves. Before the break, he was guilty of speculative long-range shots and careless turnovers — there was a visible impatience to his play. But the ability to deliver a pass that nobody else on the pitch can even see — that is Baena's defining quality. Simeone described it as "the play of someone who sees and knows." If passes of that calibre become more frequent, Baena's value will far outweigh any number of turnovers.

For G. Simeone, this was a long-awaited goal. In recent matches, his end product in the final third had been lacking, but this composed finish brought his season tally across all competitions to 13 goal involvements (6 goals, 7 assists in 35 appearances). That already matches his full-season total from last year (13 involvements: 5 goals, 8 assists in 47 appearances) — and the campaign is far from over. The joy on his face as he sprinted towards his teammates spoke volumes about what this club means to him.

Lookman's First La Liga Goal — Set-Piece Repeatability

58th minute, a corner kick. Ruggeri flicked on at the near post, and Lookman threw himself at the far post to head it home with a diving header. 3-1.

This was Lookman's second consecutive match scoring with a header from the back post, following his goal against Club Brugge. This is no coincidence. Lookman's positioning inside the box is outstanding, and the combination with Ruggeri on set pieces is developing into a reliable weapon.

It was Ademola Lookman's first La Liga goal for Atlético Madrid. Since joining from Atalanta in the January transfer window, this was only his third league appearance. His physical presence and composure on the ball are immediately apparent — even under heavy pressure, he retains possession and links play intelligently. Considering he is still in the process of settling in, the future looks very promising indeed.

Sørloth's Night — The Second Header and the One That Hit the Post

The best piece of play in this match might have been the one that didn't result in a goal.

In the 69th minute, Sørloth received a through ball from Ruggeri, held off two defenders with his back to goal, turned, and unleashed a left-footed shot that cannoned off the post. Simeone said afterwards: "That was even better than his two goals." The way he used his body to shield the ball against two markers, then generated enough power and accuracy to hit the frame — it was a moment that encapsulated everything about the Norwegian giant's quality.

In the 72nd minute, Ruggeri swung in a cross from the left. Sørloth rose powerfully in the centre and thumped a header against the inside of the post and in. 4-1. His 9th La Liga goal of the season.

In this writer's view, Sørloth's finishing today was the best of his entire season. A placed left-footed finish, a thunderous header, and a post-rattling strike from a near-impossible angle — three entirely different types of finish in a single match. A FotMob rating of 9.0 barely does justice to a performance like that. If Atlético are to pull off something special in the Champions League or Copa del Rey, this is exactly the level of centre-forward ruthlessness they will need.

Ruggeri, meanwhile, registered assists on the 58th and 72nd-minute goals — two in one match. For the left-footed wing-back who wears his love for this club on his Instagram feed, having the numbers to match his devotion must have made this a deeply satisfying day.

The 80th-Minute Concession — Late Lapses and Lingering Concerns

At 4-1, the match appeared settled. But in the 80th minute, Edu Expósito struck a shot from the left side of the penalty area that took a deflection and wrong-footed Oblak. 4-2.

Oblak was not his usual self on this night. The first goal came from close range via Carreras, but Into the Calderón noted that the Oblak we know at his best would have kept it out. The second was a strike from outside the box — and the consensus was unforgiving: a goalkeeper of his calibre should not be beaten from that distance. ItC 5, FotMob 5.8.

There was also a scare in the 70th minute when N'Gongje's shot struck the crossbar for Espanyol. The drop in concentration during the closing stages is a clear concern heading into Tuesday's second leg against Club Brugge. Ultimately, those two goals conceded meant that despite sharing the same points total as Villarreal (48), Atlético remained 4th on goal difference. The climb to third will have to wait.

Substitutions and Energy Management — With Brugge in Mind

In the 61st minute, Baena and Lookman were withdrawn simultaneously, replaced by Koke and J. Álvarez. Removing two of the match's standout performers early was a clear sign of energy management ahead of the Champions League playoff second leg against Club Brugge, just two days away. The Metropolitano crowd rose to their feet in appreciation.

At 74 minutes, Griezmann made way for Almada and Llorente was replaced by Molina. Then, in the 84th minute, G. Simeone was substituted for Le Normand.

G. Simeone scored a crucial goal, but his overall passing accuracy was inconsistent, and he lost possession in the midfield area on several occasions. His FotMob rating of 8.2 reflects the impact of his goal, but the rest of his performance still showed rough edges. That is precisely why this goal matters so much — confidence compounds, and each one smooths out the inconsistencies over time.

Álvarez, introduced on the left to operate behind Sørloth, struggled to make an impact (ItC 4, FotMob 6.0). Molina was guilty of misplaced passes and slowed down Atlético's attacks (ItC 3, FotMob 6.4) — a performance that raises questions ahead of the Brugge squad selection. Almada beat Dmitrović with a dribble but was denied on the goal line by a recovering defender, agonisingly close to making it five (ItC 5, FotMob 6.6).

The biggest concern, however, is Baena. After the match, he was spotted with an ice pack on his left foot. He had already required treatment for an injury in the 11th minute, and his availability for the Brugge match is now a genuine worry.

Cardoso's Quiet Authority

The first name Simeone mentioned in his post-match press conference was Johnny Cardoso.

"He grew into the game progressively. Aggression, intensity, teamwork, switching the play — he showed exactly why he is at Atlético. A very good performance."

The reason Baena was free to roam forward and create was that Cardoso sat in the anchor role, quietly and relentlessly winning the ball back, shouldering the defensive burden single-handedly. His ball-winning consistency was among the finest displays of the entire season. There was no glamour in it, but the platform on which all four goals were built was unmistakably Cardoso's work. ItC 7, FotMob 8.2.

Espanyol by the Numbers

xG: 2.89 to 1.06 (FotMob). Shots: 18 (9 on target) to 8 (2 on target). Possession: 61.2% to 38.8%. Big chances: 5 to 1. Pass accuracy: 86% to 78.3%. On the numbers alone, this was close to a comprehensive victory.

This win ended a three-match winless streak in La Liga for Atlético. After a 0-1 loss to Betis and a 0-3 defeat to Rayo Vallecano, the team that had gone goalless in back-to-back league fixtures suddenly looked reborn, hammering in four on the night.

In the table, Atlético sit 4th on 48 points. The gap to leaders Real Madrid (60 points) stands at 12 — a realistic title challenge is no longer on the cards. But Villarreal, in 3rd, are level on points, and the race for Champions League qualification will go down to the wire. A six-point cushion over 5th-placed Real Betis provides a measure of comfort.

The next battle comes in just two days. On Tuesday, February 25th, the Champions League playoff second leg against Club Brugge at home. The first leg ended 3-3 in Belgium. Simeone sounded a note of caution: "Brugge rested players in their league match. We have to face a fresh team with the same mentality." Under the Metropolitano lights on Tuesday night, the question is whether Atlético can carry this evening's momentum forward.

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Substitutes