Julián Álvarez engineered an 89th-minute winner for Álex Baena, lifting Atlético de Madrid to a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona on October 17, 2026. The result kept Diego Simeone’s side in second place in La Liga with 22 points after nine matches, trailing league leaders Barcelona by two points.

The decisive breakthrough arrived in the final minute of regulation time before four minutes of stoppage time. Álvarez gathered the ball on the left side of the attack, drove forward past a wall of defenders, and slipped a pass to Baena at the top of the area. Baena struck a high, curling right-footed shot past goalkeeper Fortuño to break the deadlock.

Dominant Possession at RCDE Stadium

Atlético controlled the tempo throughout the afternoon, finishing with 70.7% possession and completing 670 passes compared to just 269 for Espanyol. The visitors also generated more than double the offensive threat of their opponents, registering 1.34 expected goals (xG) against Espanyol’s 0.53.

The early pressure nearly paid off within the opening minutes. Jonathan David fired a close-range shot just over the crossbar in the sixth minute, and Giuliano Simeone missed a one-on-one opportunity against Fortuño in the 29th minute after a precise delivery, with Espanyol defender Riedel clearing a subsequent effort off the goal line. Espanyol’s best first-half response came near the half-hour mark when Roberto Fernández headed a corner wide of the post.

Tactical Shifts and Second-Half Changes

Simeone turned to his bench at halftime, sending on Julián Álvarez in place of Ademola Lookman. Marcos Llorente and Baena entered as substitutes during the second half to help the team secure a victory against Espanyol after a scoreless first period.

The changes paid defensive dividends as well as offensive ones. Cristian Romero received a yellow card in the 21st minute of the second half, prompting Simeone to substitute him immediately for Rodrigo Mendoza. Goalkeeper Jan Oblak preserved the clean sheet in the closing moments, securing 12 recoveries and stopping late attempts from Pol Lozano.

For Álvarez, the assist provided a crucial boost despite his ongoing scoring drought. The Argentine forward has not found the back of the net for Atlético since April 29, 2026, when he scored in a 1–1 draw against Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League semifinals. Nonetheless, his late surge on the left flank created the space necessary for Baena to seal the three points.

Standings and Upcoming Fixtures

With the win, Atlético de Madrid secured their sixth victory across all competitions, lifting their league total to 22 points from seven wins, one draw, and one defeat. Espanyol remained in 12th place with eight points.

Atlético will return to action following the completion of the weekend’s fixtures, where table-topping Barcelona visits Real Betis in Seville with a two-point advantage over the Rojiblancos.