Alex Baena secures dramatic late victory for Atletico Madrid at Espanyol

Atletico Madrid maintained their impressive form on Friday, securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium. The result marks the team's sixth consecutive win across all competitions and their fifth straight success in La Liga.

The match was largely defined by the heroics of Espanyol goalkeeper Angel Fortuno, who kept his side in the game with a series of vital interventions. He frustrated Atletico’s attack throughout the evening, notably denying Jonathan David and Julian Alvarez, the latter of whom was thwarted by a brilliant fingertip save in the closing stages.

A decisive cameo

The deadlock was finally broken in the 89th minute. After entering the match as a substitute, Alex Baena received a pass from Julian Alvarez just outside the penalty area and fired a clinical strike into the top-left corner. This goal proved to be the difference, capping off a productive appearance where the midfielder also created two key chances.

Diego Simeone’s side dominated the statistical battle, recording 19 shots compared to Espanyol’s 10. The result also highlights the growing influence of Baena, who has already contributed to seven La Liga goals this season, surpassing his total output from the entire previous campaign.