Kang-in Lee and Alex Baena strike in second half as Atletico Madrid beat Malaga 2-0

Pre-match tribute and youth rotation

The 2026-27 domestic season opened at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano after the fixture was brought forward to accommodate upcoming stadium concerts by The Weeknd. Kickoff was delayed by nearly 10 minutes for a ceremony honouring Atletico players Marc Pubill, Alex Baena, Alejandro Grimaldo, and Marcos Llorente following Spain's World Cup victory. Former forward David Villa carried the trophy onto the pitch before 65,785 spectators, with Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente watching from the director's box. With Julian Alvarez omitted from the squad and Alexander Sorloth unavailable, manager Diego Simeone turned to academy players across the lineup. Right back Jorge Dominguez became the youngest debutant in Atletico Madrid history at 16 years of age. Academy graduates Dani Martinez, Carlos Martin, and Arnau Ortiz also started, while Ademola Lookman led the attack as a central striker.

Malaga resist throughout the opening half

Malaga entered the match following an eight-season absence from the top tier, backed by 1,500 visiting supporters. Juan Funes fielded a starting lineup containing 10 players who had never previously played in La Liga, with midfielder Carlos Dotor being the only player with top-flight experience. Malaga maintained defensive discipline and generated chances through David Larrubia and Joaquin Munoz, who narrowly missed the bottom post from distance. Funes instructed his players to maintain an assertive approach during the cooling break.

We promised each other to be daring.

Atletico struggled to produce clear chances inside the penalty box, relying heavily on Arnau Ortiz's pace along the left flank. In first-half stoppage time, goalkeeper Jan Oblak made successive saves against shots from Carlos Chupe and Larrubia, though the referee's assistant flagged for offside to keep the score 0-0 at halftime.

Substitutions tilt momentum toward Atletico

Simeone changed the dynamic at the break by replacing the booked Dominguez with Marcos Llorente at right back. On 57 minutes, Simeone executed a triple change, sending on summer signing Kang-in Lee, midfielder Alex Baena, and forward Giuliano Simeone. The changes increased Atletico's passing speed, allowing the hosts to complete 521 passes and record 15 total shots across the match compared to Malaga's five.

Danish international Morten Hjulmand entered in the 78th minute for captain Koke to stabilize midfield possession as Malaga struggled to sustain their first-half pressing intensity.

Decisive goals from Kang-in Lee and Baena

The decisive breakthrough occurred in the 70th minute when Kang-in Lee received the ball from David Hancko on the right wing. Wearing the number seven shirt following his transfer from Paris Saint-Germain, the South Korean winger dribbled past three defenders and struck a left-footed curling shot into the top corner.

Atletico consolidated their advantage in the 85th minute after winning a foul in shooting range. Baena took the set piece, sending a direct free kick into the upper corner beyond goalkeeper Alfonso Herrero to confirm the 2-0 result.