Second-Half Stunners Set the Metropolitano Alight

Atletico Madrid opened their 2026-27 LaLiga campaign with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Malaga at the Metropolitano on Wednesday, but it required two moments of individual brilliance to separate the sides.

For large stretches of the match, Diego Simeone's side were frustrated by a Malaga team appearing in their first top-flight match since the 2017-18 season. The visitors even carried a threat going forward, but Atletico's quality in reserve ultimately proved decisive.

A Slow-Burning First Half

The crowd inside the Metropolitano had to wait until the 35th minute for the game's first shot on target, with Rodrigo Mendoza seeing his effort palmed clear by Malaga goalkeeper Alfonso Herrero.

At the other end, Jan Oblak — making his 400th LaLiga appearance — had to be alert, first thwarting Chupe before getting down low to keep out David Larrubia, though the offside flag had already been raised on the far side.

Lee Breaks the Deadlock

Atletico started the second half with greater intent, but it took one of Simeone's substitutes to finally break the deadlock. In the 70th minute, summer signing Lee Kang-In — acquired from Paris Saint-Germain — collected David Hancko's long ball out to the right, cut inside three Malaga defenders, and fired a sensational effort into the top-left corner past Herrero.

Having seen his game time restricted at PSG due to their star-studded front line, Lee showcased exactly what he can bring to Atletico. The South Korean became the third-youngest foreign player to score for the club on their LaLiga debut in the 21st century, aged 25 years and 181 days. He also finished with joint-team-high totals for chances created (three, level with Mendoza) and tackles won (three, level with Hancko).

Baena Seals It in Style

If Lee's strike was special, what followed was even better. On his first appearance for Atletico since leading Spain to glory at the World Cup, Alex Baena produced a moment of pure magic. After being fouled on the edge of the box, the Spanish international dusted himself down and whipped a delicious free-kick in off the crossbar five minutes from time to seal all three points.

Baena became the first Spanish player to score from a direct free-kick for Atletico in LaLiga since Antonio Lopez against Real Zaragoza in October 2009. It was also his second direct free-kick goal in the competition, coming on what was his 18th such attempt.

Malaga's Threat Fades

While Malaga looked dangerous in the final third during the first half, they never truly recovered after falling behind. The visitors finished with an expected goals (xG) total of just 0.15 from their five shots, compared to Atletico's 0.82 from six attempts.

The result extended Atletico's winning run over Malaga to six matches in the top flight, with five clean sheets kept in that span. For Simeone, it may not have been the most convincing performance, but his bench proved the difference — and with new arrivals like Lee and Baena already making their mark, there is plenty of reason for optimism at the Metropolitano.