Atletico Madrid extended their unbeaten start to the LaLiga season with a hard-fought 3-1 comeback victory over CD Leganes on Sunday, at the Civitas Metropolitano, pushing the visitors’ winless streak to eight matches.
With the pressure on Diego Simeone’s side to narrow the seven-point gap between them and title contenders Barcelona and Real Madrid, a slow start unexpectedly gave Leganes an opening to press forward.
Despite controlling the bulk of possession, Atletico Madrid struggled to turn their dominance into meaningful chances.
One of their few early opportunities fell to Alexander Sorloth, who failed to connect properly with a well-placed cross from Koke, sending a weak attempt into the goalkeeper’s hands instead of the back of the net.
Having absorbed Atletico’s pressure for the first 30 minutes, Leganes started to find their rhythm.
Against the run of play, they delivered a blow just before halftime. Daniel Raba orchestrated a dangerous move, teeing up Yvan Neyou, who unleashed a thunderous shot into the top corner, leaving Jan Oblak stranded.
It was Leganes’ first-ever top-flight goal in their meetings away against Atletico Madrid, and it sent shockwaves through the Metropolitano, with the home crowd growing restless as the whistle blew for halftime.
Simeone, looking for a spark, made only one change at the break, bringing on Samuel Lino for Nahuel Molina.
Atletico’s breakthrough seemed imminent early in the second half when Angel Correa, making his first LaLiga start this season after regularly being used as a substitute, found himself in a prime position to equalize.
However, in an astonishing miss, he skewed his shot wide from close range, with fans in disbelief at the squandered chance.
Simeone responded by throwing on a trio of Argentine players to turn the tide, but it was Sorloth who finally brought Atletico level.
The Norwegian striker, continuing his impressive scoring run, produced a moment of brilliance, back-heeling Axel Witsel’s pass with finesse to beat the Leganes goalkeeper.
This marked his third consecutive match finding the net for both club and country, cementing his growing importance in Atletico’s attack.
As the momentum shifted firmly in Atletico’s favor, they found a second wind, with their relentless pressure paying off in the final stages of the game.
Two late goals sealed the 3-1 victory, preserving their unbeaten streak and keeping the title chase alive.
Leganes, meanwhile, were left reeling as their winless drought extended yet again.
