Madrid (Reuters)
Antoine Griezmann, Marcos Llorente and Koke scored as Atletico Madrid beat Girona 3-0 in their first home match of the Spanish Primera Division season.
Atletico put in a strong performance to beat last season’s surprise package Girona and move on to four points, after a 2-2 draw with Villarreal in the opening round.
Griezmann opened the scoring in the 39th minute, when he fired a free kick into the far corner of the goal, after Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga received a yellow card for handling the ball outside the penalty area.
“The fans and the players were really looking forward to playing at home, after such a long time,” Griezmann told DAZN. “It’s a perfect night, let’s keep it that way. I was waiting to see where the goalkeeper was, I saw a gap at the far post and with a bit of luck the ball went in.”
Llorente doubled Atletico’s lead with a powerful shot, after an individual effort, three minutes into the second half.
Griezmann said that Llorente “always gives his best for the team, regardless of the position he plays in, he gives his best, and we need this type of player in the team.
Meanwhile, captain Koke scored the third goal from close range in stoppage time, scoring his first goal since the 2021-2022 season.
“The goals came at the worst time for us,” said Girona midfielder Oriol Romeu. “In the first half, we did some good things. The team suffered a heavy defeat, but there are some positives.”
Atletico Madrid next host promoted Espanyol on Wednesday, while Girona play Osasuna a day later.
#Atletico #Madrid. #perfect #night