Baena breaks a combative Espanyol with a great goal in the last minute and gives Atlético the victory

A labor with a lot of pick and shovel, long as Espanyol intended, was resolved by Baena's class when he was already dying. Atlético's ten was confirmed as their most decisive player at this start of the season, five goals and three assists, when from the crescent he put a thread far out of Fortuño's reach. The victory was necessary to follow in Barcelona's footsteps and put pressure on them before their visit to Benito Villamarín.

The play that preceded Baena's great goal also spoke well of Atlético, they had to clear Espanyol's pressure in the vicinity of Oblak's area by taking the ball from right to left with risky passes in order to launch Julián Alvarez on the run. The Argentine had a pause to cut back and leave the ball to Baena so that he could make his splendorous pass into the net. Julián Alvarez was sharp in several maneuvers near the area and agitator when he went down to receive. He is missing the goal, Fortuño avoided it with the tips of his fingers after cutting his marker with his waist, but he is in his line of improving all the balls that come to him.

The type of game that was going to prevail in Cornellá was revealed from the first two long balls that Espanyol played, looking for what could scratch the one from the imposing Robert Martínez or from the second plays. Manolo Martínez skipped the midfield and it was Atlético's turn to govern the game from the ball. Simeone had left a lot of offensive load on the bench, Grimaldo, Baena and Julián Alvarez, and the coming and going of Marcos Llorente. With Koke and Cardoso injured, the engine room went to Hjulmand and Barrios, with Kang-In Lee free of movements to create. Above, Jonathan David, who was better in the continuity of the game than in the area, and Lookman, who does not raise his head.

The feeling was established in the match that any hole that Atlético found against Espanyol had to come from the participation and dynamism of Kang-In Lee and Barrios. The Korean did not adjust the ankle properly after a good combination in which Barrios and also David participated. This one was forced to a center behind Giuliano, launched earlier by a good pass into the hole by Pubill, who returned to the eleven as a right back. David also had the goal when Kang-In Lee discovered that he was unchecked in the area. The youth squad Fortuño, who has ousted Dmitrovic with powerful saves in the last two games, deflected the Canadian's shot to the base of the post with his boot.

Espanyol only has to resist and try to scratch something out of a strategic play. The long balls were almost always the property of the rojiblancos. The proposal and the superiority of Atlético to win the duels and the rejections reduced Bryan Zaragoza to nothing. So only when Robert Martínez forced a foul on the midfielder and with a couple of corner kicks, the blue and white team was able to rush the colchoneros. They got a couple of scares when they were surprised by the speed with which Espanyol took their first corner and a lateral foul that ended in a rebound that Cabera volleyed onto Oblak's crossbar.