Lee Kang-In curls one in on debut and Atlético finally break Málaga down
Seventy minutes of nothing much, then a left foot from the right side of the box. Álex Baena's free-kick five minutes from time finished the job.
For seventy minutes Málaga did the thing promoted sides come to Madrid to do: stay compact, stay in it, make the home crowd nervous. Atlético had 53% of the ball and not much to show for it.
Then Lee Kang-In cut in from the right and curled a left-footed shot inside the far post. First competitive appearance, first goal.
Baena over the wall
Álex Baena settled it on 85 minutes, clipping a shot over the wall and into the top corner. Two goals in fifteen minutes after nothing at all in seventy.
Málaga's goalkeeper made four saves and their side managed one shot on target all night — a 0.15 expected goals total against Atlético's 0.82. This was not a heavy defeat. It was a long one.
Match facts
- 70' — Lee Kang-In (Atlético Madrid)
- 85' — Álex Baena (Atlético Madrid)
| Stat | Atlético Madrid | Málaga |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 53% | 47% |
| Shots on target | 6 | 1 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 0.82 | 0.15 |
| Accurate passes | 457 (88%) | 394 (84%) |
| Corners | 6 | 1 |
| Fouls committed | 17 | 11 |
| Saves | 1 | 4 |
What's next
Atlético host Villarreal on Sunday 23 August, against a side that came from two goals down at Racing Santander on the opening weekend. Málaga's first home game of the season is Deportivo on Monday 24 August — the other promoted club, and a rather more even test.
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