Espanyol produced a dramatic late turnaround to beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 on Sunday, handing Diego Simeone’s side their first opening-day defeat since 2009.
Atletico looked on course for victory after Julian Alvarez opened the scoring in the 37th minute. The Argentine forward struck a stunning free kick into the top corner, leaving Espanyol goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic with no chance. Alvarez almost doubled the lead shortly before the hour mark when his powerful shot rattled the post, but that miss proved costly.
Espanyol, who had struggled to create clear chances for much of the game, found a lifeline in the 73rd minute. Miguel Rubio reacted quickest to a loose ball following a set-piece and fired past Jan Oblak to level the score. The goal shifted momentum firmly in the hosts’ favour as Atletico began to lose control in midfield.
The decisive moment arrived six minutes from time. Substitute Pere Milla met Omar El Hilali’s cross with a precise header to complete the comeback and send the Barcelona crowd into celebration. Atletico pressed for an equaliser in the closing minutes, but Espanyol held firm to claim a memorable win.
The result leaves Simeone’s men empty-handed from their opening fixture, despite creating the better chances for long spells, but for Espanyol, the victory marks an ideal start to their campaign.
