Atlético Madrid 4-2 RCD Espanyol: Player ratings as Sørloth double lifts hosts

Atlético Madrid overturned an early deficit to beat RCD Espanyol 4-2 at the Estadio Metropolitano on Saturday night, with Alexander Sørloth scoring twice to take his LaLIGA tally to nine for the season.

Espanyol stunned the hosts after six minutes when Jofre Carreras capitalised on a loose Griezmann pass to finish clinically. The lead lasted until the 24th minute, when Marcos Llorente atoned for his part in the opener by clipping a precise cross to the back post where Sørloth slid in to level.

The second half belonged to Atlético. Giuliano Simeone tucked home Álex Baena’s defence-splitting pass three minutes after the restart, and Ademola Lookman added a third on 66 minutes, steering in Matteo Ruggeri’s flicked corner at the far post. Sørloth’s towering header from another Ruggeri delivery made it 4-1, before Espanyol’s late consolation left Jan Oblak conceding twice on an otherwise quiet evening.

Player ratings (scale 1-10, via Into the Calderón)

Jan Oblak – 5 Beaten twice from positions the elite stopper would expect to dominate, the Slovenian had little chance to redeem himself.

Marcos Llorente – 7 Shaky defensively on the opening goal but created Sørloth’s first with a sumptuous cross and carried the ball effectively down the right.

Marc Pubill – 7 Composed in possession against a deep Espanyol block, threading short passes and lofting accurate diagonals.

Dávid Hancko – 7 Impressed with his distribution and almost scored after a slick exchange inside the area.

Matteo Ruggeri – 7 Two assists: a clever near-post glance for Lookman and a pinpoint cross for Sørloth’s second.

Giuliano Simeone – 7 Netted his first in weeks, slotting under Marko Dmitrović early in the second period.

Johnny Cardoso – 7 Anchored midfield, winning tackles and allowing team-mates to push forward.

Álex Baena – 7 Operated between the lines, shooting ambitiously in the first half before crafting the pass for Giuli’s goal.

Ademola Lookman – 6 Ineffective in open play but ghosted in to head his second headed corner goal in succession.

Antoine Griezmann – 6 Recycled possession from deep but lost the ball for Espanyol’s opener and dragged a presentable chance wide.

Alexander Sørloth – 8 Two contrasting finishes showcased his movement and aerial power; now on nine league goals.

Koke – 6 A 16-minute cameo that allowed Cardoso to push higher.

Julián Alvarez – 4 Drifted in off the left yet struggled to influence proceedings.

Nahuel Molina – 3 Heavy touches and misplaced passes stalled attacks.

Thiago Almada – 5 Danced past Dmitrović but saw his shot cleared off the line.

Robin Le Normand – n/a Too late to make an impact.

The victory keeps Atlético firmly in the upper reaches of the table and offers momentum ahead of their mid-week Champions League return leg.