The air around Madrid must feel a little lighter today. Atlético Madrid finally broke their season’s curse on Saturday. They grabbed their first win in the 2025/26 Spanish League. A solid 2-0 victory over Villarreal was exactly what they needed. It happened during the fourth week of the season.
Diego Simeone’s team desperately needed this result. They’d been stumbling with two draws and one loss. That’s a truly terrible start for any club. But against Villarreal, the “Colchoneros” looked like themselves again. They earned every bit of this much-needed victory. Villarreal, usually strong, looked surprisingly off their game.
An early mistake helped Atlético get on the scoreboard. Portuguese player Renato Veiga gave away the ball in a dangerous spot. Julián Alvarez saw his chance and snatched it. Instead of shooting, he made a smart pass. Pablo Barrios put the ball in the net after just nine minutes. What a way to kick things off.
Villarreal arrived unbeaten in the league. Yet, their first half was pretty rough. They struggled to keep possession, holding the ball just 34% of the time. They nearly found an equalizer before halftime, though. Nicolas Pépé struck a free-kick that smacked against the crossbar. It seemed fate wasn’t on their side.
Atlético confirmed their dominance in the second half. Nico González scored a fantastic goal in the 52nd minute. This marked his debut goal for the “rojiblancos.” The Argentine forward, on loan from Juventus, leaped higher than the defenders. He met Marcos Llorente’s perfect pass, making it 2-0.
The second half was intense from start to finish. However, neither side managed to score again. Atlético Madrid climbed to ninth place in the league table. They now have five points under their belt. Villarreal, with seven points, squandered a big opportunity. They could have moved into second place.
This opening came because Athletic Bilbao suffered a shocking defeat. The team sitting in second place lost at home to Alavés. It was their first home loss in two decades. An own goal by Berenguer in the 57th minute sealed their fate. Bilbao had won all three of their previous league matches.
Despite the stumble, Athletic Bilbao provisionally holds second place. They have nine points so far. Alavés, with their second league win, now sits in seventh place. They also have seven points. FC Barcelona and Espanyol, both with seven points, still have their matches to play this round. They could easily leapfrog Athletic Bilbao. The top spot remains firmly with Real Madrid. They boast a perfect 12 points from four wins. Their latest victory was a 2-1 result against Real Sociedad.