In a thrilling Spanish league showdown on September 23, Atletico Madrid disrupted Real Madrid’s unbeaten start to the season, securing a commanding 3-1 victory.
The match witnessed Álvaro Morata’s stellar performance, as he notched two goals, complemented by Antoine Griezmann’s contribution, which handed Real Madrid their first defeat after an impressive run of six consecutive victories in various competitions. Toni Kroos managed to salvage a goal for the visitors.
Remarkably, all three of Atletico’s goals at the Metropolitano stadium were headers. Morata showcased his prowess with goals in the fourth and 46th minutes, while Griezmann extended the lead in the 18th minute. Although Real Madrid pulled one back with Kroos’s strike from outside the area in the 35th minute, a goal was disallowed for offside just before halftime.
This outcome left Catalan powerhouses Barcelona and Girona jointly leading the league table with 16 points each from six matches.
Reigning champions Barcelona secured a late comeback victory against Celta Vigo, prevailing 3-2, while Girona triumphed over Mallorca with an electrifying 5-3 win.
Real Madrid maintained their third-place position, trailing by just one point. They had previously enjoyed a five-game winning streak in the league and secured a midweek triumph over Union Berlin in the Champions League group stage. Real Madrid had been the sole team with a flawless league record this season.
Atletico Madrid, currently occupying the fifth spot with 10 points, bounced back from a 3-0 defeat at Valencia, which had marked their first setback of the season.
Diego Simeone’s squad had accumulated two victories and a draw in their previous encounters. Notably, their league fixture against Sevilla earlier this month had been postponed due to adverse weather conditions.
In other matchups, Real Sociedad delivered an exhilarating 4-3 victory over Getafe on their home turf, with Japanese sensation Takefusa Kubo finding the net just two minutes into the game.
Meanwhile, Villarreal and Rayo Vallecano settled for a 1-1 draw, with both teams scoring within a minute of each other during the early stages of the first half.
Furthermore, despite being down to 10 men, Las Palmas clinched their inaugural win of the season, defeating visiting Granada 1-0 with a stoppage-time goal courtesy of Kirian Rodríguez. Real Betis and Cadiz played to a 1-1 draw in their encounter.
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