Match Report
Before the match
six goals for and seven against accompanied Espanyol's one win, two draws and two defeats across five outings. On 9 October, Espanyol recorded a 1-1 draw visiting Málaga.
Málaga hosted Espanyol (La Liga) on 9 October. For Espanyol, the score was 1-1: one goal scored, one allowed. 1-3 was Espanyol's result against Elche on 18 September (La Liga), playing at home; Espanyol lost, with one scored to three conceded. The 15 September fixture (La Liga) paired Espanyol with Rayo Vallecano. Espanyol lost 1-2 away from home, netting one goal while conceding two. Playing away from home against Osasuna (La Liga), Espanyol finished 2-0 on 12 September. Their score comprised two goals, against zero from the opposition. 6 September: Espanyol drew 1-1 against Sevilla FC at home in La Liga, scoring one goal and allowing one.
Espanyol stood 12th in the results-based La Liga table before kickoff, with eight points from eight matches.
Atleti: five wins over five games; 13 goals scored, two conceded, keeping three clean sheets, unbeaten. Man United were their latest opponents, at home on 13 October: a 2-0 win; their biggest win in that spell was 4-0 at home to Osasuna on 16 September.
Against Man United in Champions League, Atleti scored two and conceded zero on 13 October; the at home result was 2-0. Atleti's away from home game on 10 October (La Liga) ended 2-1 against Alavés, with two goals for and one against. On 20 September, Real Madrid faced Atleti in La Liga: Atleti won 2-1 at home, having scored two and conceded one. La Liga, 16 September brought a home meeting with Osasuna; Atleti won 4-0, a return of four goals scored and zero conceded. Atleti visited Real Sociedad on 13 September (La Liga) and won 3-0; their goals totalled three, compared with zero conceded.
Before kickoff, La Liga's results-based standings placed Atleti 2nd after eight matches and 19 points.
The teams' recorded encounters ended in a 4-2 home win for Atleti on 21 February and a 2-1 home win for Espanyol on 17 August 2025.
After the match
Atleti edged past Espanyol 1-0 on 17 October 2026. Álex Baena opened the scoring late on, in the 89th minute for Atleti, set up by Julián Álvarez, to make it 1-0. 7 players were booked, among them Morten Hjulmand (22'), Kang-in Lee (43'), Christian Romero (66'), Álex Baena (68'), Rodrigo Mendoza (79') and Roger Hinojo (81'). The rating gap is a wide one: our current Elo ratings have Atleti 253 points stronger than Espanyol. Atleti won; current ratings also favour them in this pairing, with a model probability of 64%. Atleti's current recorded form ends with 6 consecutive wins in the 2026/27 La Liga and the 2026/27 Champions League. Espanyol: two yellow cards. five changes were recorded for Espanyol. Unai Núñez was booked following entry for Espanyol in the 64th minute. Atleti: five yellow cards. five changes were recorded for Atleti. Julián Álvarez, on in the 46th minute, provided an assist. Álex Baena entered for Atleti at 62 minutes and later scored in minute 89 and was booked. After coming on for Atleti in minute 67, Rodrigo Mendoza was booked. Atleti finished with a clean sheet.