TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Atletico Madrid opened its 2026/27 La Liga campaign with a 2-0 victory over Malaga at the Metropolitano Stadium early Thursday morning Jakarta time.
The hosts' two goals were scored by Lee Kang-in and Alex Baena in the second half. The result provisionally places Atletico Madrid in third place in the standings with three points from one match.
Atletico sits behind Alaves and Espanyol, who occupy first and second place after both secured 3-0 wins in their opening matches. Meanwhile, other teams, including title contenders Barcelona and Real Madrid, have yet to play their opening matches, according to UEFA's official website.
Playing in front of its home crowd, Atletico dominated from the opening whistle. Diego Simeone's side controlled the tempo and frequently threatened the Malaga defense. However, Atletico had to wait until the second half to break the deadlock.
Atletico's opening goal arrived in the 70th minute.
Its new forward, Lee Kang-in who had come on as a substitute capitalized on a pass from David Hancko to put the hosts 1-0 ahead.
Atletico extended its lead five minutes before the end of regulation time. Alex Baena got his name on the scoresheet, doubling Los Colchoneros' advantage to 2-0.
Malaga attempted to respond but failed to score before the final whistle, allowing Atletico to secure three points in its season opener.
Read: 10 Highest-Paid Players in La Liga in 2026: Who Earns the Most?