Atlético Madrid 4-2 Espanyol: Atléti end LaLiga goal drought with comeback victory | OneFootball

Atlético Madrid came from behind to claim a 4-2 win against Espanyol on Saturday, ending a three-game goal drought in LaLiga and avoiding what would have been their first four-game winless run in the competition since December 2021.

Espanyol, who have picked up just two points in the Spanish top flight since the turn of the year, started well at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano and found the opener through Jofre Carreras.

But their lead did not last long. Alexander Sorloth fired the equaliser into the bottom corner with 21 minutes on the clock, and a dominant second-half showing saw Giuliano Simeone and Ademola Lookman find the back of the net before Sorloth completed his brace.

Edu Expósito netted late for the visitors, but it wasn’t enough to inspire a dramatic comeback as sixth-placed Espanyol extend their winless run to eight games.

As it happened

With both sides vying to return to form, it was Espanyol that drew first blood at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano on Saturday – and it took them just six minutes to do so.

Antoine Griezmann was dispossessed by Tyrhys Dolan on the halfway line, with the former Blackburn Rovers man able to tear down the right flank before whipping in a teasing ball for Jofre Carreras to fire home from inside the box.

Having netted his first goal in 11 months, the 24-year-old came close to doubling Espanyol’s lead from range, although his effort flew just wide of the target.

But Atlético Madrid responded well to going behind and drew level with 21 minutes on the clock in the Spanish capital, with Alexander Sorloth able to fire Marcos Llorente’s into the far bottom corner.

Los Colchoneros could have taken the lead soon after through Antoine Griezmann, with the Frenchman latching onto a well-placed ball over the top but ultimately sending a dinked effort a few inches wide of the woodwork.

The breakthrough arrived just minutes into the second half though, with Alex Baena rolling the ball through for Giuliano Simeone to net his first LaLiga goal since October after a beautiful passage of play in the final third.

Keen to make a statement after a three-game winless streak in the Spanish top flight, Atléti did just that before the hour mark when Ademola Lookman timed his run to perfection, nodding a diving header home at the back post from a corner to hand los Colchoneros a two-goal cushion.

A blazing run from Sorloth, who somehow managed to keep Leandro Cabrera and Omar El Hilali at bay as he bore down on goal, was deserving of a reward but the Norwegian forward had to watch in disbelief as his shot across goal rattled the base of the far post.

But his second goal of the night arrived soon after that cruel denial, with the six-foot-five striker sending a looping header past Marko Dmitrović following Matteo Ruggeri’s cross from the flank.

Espanyol looked to be dead and buried until Edu Expósito rifled home his first LaLiga goal in more than three years from the edge of the box, mounting late comeback hopes for the blanc-i-blaus.

Despite six minutes of stoppage time in the capital, there simply wasn’t enough time for the Catalan visitors, though, who cling on to sixth place in the LaLiga standings despite remaining winless in 2026. Atléti, meanwhile, remain inside the top four.

ANALYSIS: This is the Atléti everyone – except Espanyol – wanted to see

For a side that has struggled to find the back of the net in LaLiga in recent weeks, Atlético Madrid’s emphatic win at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano seemed to be needed on a psychological level, perhaps more than the colchoneros needed the points themselves.

Diego Simeone’s men headed into Saturday’s clash with a stuttering Espanyol side having failed to score in their past three LaLiga outings, threatening to derail their campaign as they come under pressure from high-flying Real Betis.

And when Atléti conceded early, it looked as though their poor form in the league was set to continue.

Instead, though, they set out to rediscover their fluency in the final third. Alexander Sorloth’s equaliser gave them belief, but it was Giuliano Simeone’s strike – the one that handed them the lead – that really stole the show as Atléti turned beautiful build up into a tangible end product.

Some have suggested that there are two versions of this Atlético Madrid side: one that can dominate teams, and one that just falls short when it matters most. If there was any doubt as to which side had showed up on Saturday, Ademola Lookman arrived in the box to net his first LaLiga goal and extend the hosts’ lead to two goals before Sorloth completed a brace as the colchoneros marched towards a statement victory.

But for Espanyol, defeat at the Metropolitano leaves Manolo González with plenty to ponder. The blanc-i-blaus had been flying high before Christmas but are now winless in eight attempts since the festive period, and while Jofre Carreras’ opener gave the travelling support hope, it’s now back to the drawing board for the Catalans as what looked like a promising push for European football is now at risk of unravelling rapidly.