Atletico de Madrid started the season with an unexpected defeat. Diego Simeone's side took the lead with a spectacular Julian Alvarez free kick in the 37th minute, but ended up losing 2-1 at the RCDE Stadium against an Espanyol side that never gave up and knew how to punish their opponents' mistakes.

The start of the match showed an ambitious Espanyol. During the first ten minutes, the home team pressed high and approached Jan Oblak's area with speed, although the initial impetus faded.

Atletico balanced control of the ball and began to generate danger. In the 15th minute, a corner kick from Baena found Hancko's head, but Dimitrovic saved the goal. Roberto Fernandez then responded with a long-range shot that also forced Oblak to excel. The match became a back-and-forth affair. Cabrera had a header for the Parakeets, and Julian Alvarez again tested Dimitrovic's reflexes in a team move that brought the visiting crowd to their senses. As the clock ticked down, Atletico seemed more settled and controlled the pace of the match.

Espanyol punished Atletico's lack of decisiveness

That dominance was reflected on the scoreboard. In the 37th minute, Julian Alvarez accurately executed a free kick and placed the ball in the top corner, out of reach of Dimitrovic. The 0-1 seemed to set up the rojiblancos' debut. In the second half, the Argentine striker even came close to repeating the feat with a shot that hit the post that could have sealed the victory in the 57th minute.

But Atletico didn't finish the match and paid a heavy price. Espanyol, despite being outplayed, never stopped trying. In the 73rd minute, a free kick from Edu Exposito found Miguel Rubio, who leveled the score with a precise header. That goal lifted RCDE Stadium and completely changed the dynamic. With the momentum of their fans, the home side went for more. In the 84th minute, Pere Milla raced past the Atletico defense and, with his back to Oblak, headed home the final score at 2-1. Six minutes of added time weren't enough for Atletico to equalize. After the match, Koke Resurreccion acknowledged his team's shortcomings: "We must be decisive if we want to do anything in this league. It's killing us," the captain said on Movistar. He also emphasized the importance of focus: "We must all be on our toes, both those who started and the rest."