Atlético Madrid began their La Liga campaign with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Málaga at the Metropolitano, sealing maximum points with two decisive goals from the bench.
Kang-in Lee broke the deadlock in the 70th minute before Álex Baena added a second five minutes from time, rewarding manager Diego Simeone’s decision to rotate his starting line-up against the newly promoted side.
Impact from the Bench
Simeone kept several established names out of his starting eleven for the curtain-raiser, introducing fresh legs shortly after the hour mark. The tactical switch proved inspired.
Lee, signed from Paris Saint-Germain in July for £34.3 million, entered the fray in the 57th minute alongside Baena and Giuliano Simeone. The South Korean forward justified his price tag by drifting in from the right wing and firing a precise finish past the goalkeeper to finally unlock the stubborn Málaga defence.
Baena confirmed the result shortly afterwards, curling a free-kick beneath the crossbar to double the advantage and settle the contest.
Visitors Threaten Upset
Málaga, returning to the top flight after an eight-year absence, demonstrated they will not be easy opponents this season. Despite missing several players through injury, the visitors created clear opportunities to take a shock lead before Atlético’s breakthrough.
David Larrubia and Chupe both came close in quick succession during the first half, only for Jan Oblak to produce important saves. The effort was eventually ruled offside, though the Slovenian had already prevented the opener. Atlético also struck the woodwork when David Hancko headed against the crossbar during a period of sustained pressure.
Fixture Context
The result gives Atlético a winning start ahead of a significantly tougher assignment on Saturday, when Villarreal visit the capital. Simeone’s rotation strategy appears designed to keep key players fresh for that encounter against last season’s third-placed finishers.
Notably, striker Julián Álvarez was absent from the squad entirely amid ongoing speculation regarding his future.
Málaga will aim to register their first points when they host Deportivo on Monday in their first home match back in the top tier.