Álex Baena settled a tight La Liga contest with a late strike from outside the box, giving Atletico Madrid a 1-0 win over Espanyol in a game that stayed finely balanced until the end. In a match where the Espanyol vs Atlético Madrid standings context mattered, the narrow margin reflected how little there was between the two sides.
Espanyol had their moments before the break. Pol Lozano twice forced Jan Oblak into action, first with a header and then with a right-footed effort, but Atletico Madrid’s goalkeeper stood firm. Unai Núñez also went into the book before halftime, while Marcos Fernández came on for Roberto Fernández and Javi Puado replaced Bryan Zaragoza.
Baena makes the difference
The decisive moment arrived in added time, after the fourth official indicated four minutes. Baena found the goal that the match had been waiting for, and Atletico Madrid made sure there was no way back for Espanyol before full time.
It was the kind of finish that shows why single incidents can shape both the result and the conversation around the table. Espanyol had enough in patches to ask questions, but Atletico Madrid had the player who could change the story in one moment.
What the result means
The final scoreline was 0-1, and that is the key fact that will define the discussion afterwards. Espanyol were kept out by Oblak when they had openings, while Atletico Madrid stayed patient and left with the three points thanks to Baena’s late intervention.
For both sides, this was a match decided by fine margins rather than dominance. Atletico Madrid found the goal when it mattered most, and Espanyol were left with the frustration of coming close without finding a breakthrough.
