Atlético Madrid 4-2 RCD Espanyol

Atlético Madrid came from behind to dispatch RCD Espanyol 4-2 at the Estadio Metropolitano on Saturday night.

The visitors were ahead after just six minutes after catching Atleti on the break, but Los Rojiblancos responded midway through the half when Marcos Llorente set up Alexander Sørloth at the back post.

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The second half brought goals from Giuliano Simeone and Ademola Lookman, before Sørloth doubled his day’s tally. Espanyol pulled a goal back late on, but weren’t up to much after their early opener.

Here are the player ratings for this one, brought to you by Into the Calderón.

Player ratings

Jan Oblak: Another two goals to pick out from the back of his net meant the win didn’t quite have the gloss that it could have had. The first was a strange finish that an inform Oblak saves, in my opinion. The second was a well-hit strike, but that came from a part of the pitch that any goalkeeper in the world would be disappointed to be beaten from, let alone one of the best. Other than that, the Slovenian didn’t really have a lot else to do, giving him little chance to make amends. 5

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Marcos Llorente: Marquitos was applauded loudly and proudly by his manager when he parted ways with the game on 74 minutes — a testament to the role he played in today’s win. It was a shaky start after watching Jofre Carreras sneak from behind him to bundle the ball home for Espanyol’s opener, but Llorente soon made up for any lost ground. Showed some serious ability in a tight space down the right side of the pitch, before delightfully guiding a cross to the back post where Sørloth had ghosted towards, in order to put Atleti back on level terms. We’re going to need his lungs over the next few weeks. 7

Marc Pubill: A tidy demonstration of passing in the first half was nice to see, necessary due to how deep Espanyol were sat after their goal. We saw some well-threaded balls that allowed chances to be created, as well as some longer, floated balls over the top towards the big lump up top. A much better display after an irregular outing on Wednesday night. 7

Dávid Hancko: Just like his defensive partner, Hancko’s ball playing capabilities were his biggest standout in this match. For me, he has to be one of the best center-backs in Europe in this department, regardless of where he would rank statistically. Unlucky not to get on the scoresheet after one of his typical appearances in the opposition box following a series of one-two passes. 7

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Matteo Ruggeri: He absolutely deserves it, doesn’t he. From the moment he came to the club, Ruggeri has been an avid fan; just one look at his Instagram will reveal just how much he loves Atlético Madrid. Today he was the provider of two assists, and showed a great understanding with Sørloth that we’ve come accustomed to seeing Hancko having with the forward. The first, a flick-on from a corner for Lookman, the second, a delightful cross onto the big head of his Norwegian associate. 7

Giuliano Simeone: A much-needed goal for Giuli, who has been lacking with his final product in recent games. A tidy finish early in the second half under Marko Dmitrović set Atlético on their way to a much better 45 minutes of football. Always a pleasure to watch a player celebrate a goal with such an open showing of love towards the team he plays for. 7

Johnny Cardoso: The ultimate utility midfielder when asked to sit in the space between the defence and the creative players. He allows his manager to make up the rest of the midfield with a slightly more offensive selection of players (although it appeared to have backfired inside the first six minutes). Not the prettiest of players, technically, (although, my word he’s handsome) but is robust in the challenge and helps to tidy things up on both sides of the halfway line. 7

Álex Baena: The Spaniard lined up alongside Cardoso in the center of midfield on the team sheet, but in reality, he left the American to sit in the solo pivot role whilst having the freedom himself to roam across the line behind the forwards along with Antoine Griezmann. Perhaps a touch desperate to make something happen in the first half, often shooting from far without finding the target, but his touch to assist Giuliano was something else. Baena possesses an ability to see passes that most others cannot, making him a useful asset when it comes to trying to break down sturn, deeper-lying defences. You can read more about his Atlético potential here. 7

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Ademola Lookman: Well it seems the direct, dribbling ability wasn’t the only string to the bow that Lookman has brought to the Metropolitano, as for the second match in a row, the Nigerian has a back-post goal from a corner. He came flying in, completely unmarked, to header the ball into an empty net from Ruggeri’s flick on. In truth, it wasn’t his best game up until that point, looking a little rough around the edges. Simeone decides to keep him on a high, and subbed him straight off after the goal to keep him fresh for next week’s Champions League return leg. 6

Antoine Griezmann: Today El Principito was asked to play as an interior midfielder which saw him involved with plenty of the action from a deep position. His appearance in defensive situations was appreciated, and his touches which helped to launch attacks were helpful, but it was he who lost the ball on the halfway line which led to Espanyol’s goal. He was also presented with a great opportunity to put his team 2-1, but could only fire wide of the mark. 6

Alexander Sørloth: Not to be that guy or anything, but I’ve always backed the Norwegian giant. Even in his toughest of moments, his numbers have always spoken for themselves, and the ability he gives his team to approach the game in a different manner is irreplaceable. His movement and finish for the match equaliser was exquisite, and the pure aerial dominance shown for the second was powerfully impressive. Today’s outing takes his LALIGA total to 9 goals for the season, and his Atleti numbers are starting to smell of those of great strikers in years past. 8

Substitutes

Koke: A good runabout for the captain before being needed from the start in a few days time against Club Brugge. Nice to see him leave the bulk of the dirty work in midfield to someone else whilst getting forward a little more himself. 6

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Julián Alvarez: Came on for the last 30 minutes in a left sided role that didn’t amount to a whole lot. Tried to come inside in the hole behind Sørloth and then went to join him too, but was still unable to influence the game as he wished. 4

Nahuel Molina: Crashed about a bit, misplaced a couple of passes, stalled a few of his own team’s attacks. That Copa del Rey first leg seems like a long way away now. 3

Thiago Almada: Somehow the minute Argentine was unable to score having dribbled beyond Dmitrović, but could only find an Espanyol player on the line with his eventual shot. Would have been nice to grab the fifth goal and add to his tally in red and white. 5

Robin Le Normand: Had little time to make any meaningful impact on proceedings. n/a